


Blindly Determined (On Hold)

by Kymanatic (orphan_account)



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blind protagonist, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-12
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-19 22:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 21,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5982694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Kymanatic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You've been blind all your life. And although it can be hard to get around sometimes, being blind has never really been much of an inconvenience with your mother around to be your eyes. That is, until your mother is suddenly murdered by an unknown entity while you are sleeping. Will you be able to bear the guilt that's weighing down on your shoulders? Or will you eventually snap under the pressure? What if one day you come to find out that someone very close to you has developed a certain attachment to that vulnerable side of you? Someone more complex and more bizarre than you can possibly imagination? And what happens if you find yourself starting to reciprocate those feelings?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Who Are You?

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first story, meaning that there might be some random plot holes or mistakes here and there, so just bear with me and try not to judge it too harshly. I promise I will put this story together with the best of my ability.

You jolt up in your bed to a loud crash followed by the clashing of metal objects falling onto the floor; it must have come from the kitchen. Startled and bewildered, you toss your bedsheets aside and stumble onto the floor.

"Mom?" You call out hoarsely. "What was that crash?" No reply. After about a minute of deafening silence, you hear another clamorous bang, followed by a thump. That was when the realization hit you. Someone is in the house with you, and they must have gotten to your mom. A surge of apprehension courses through you at the thought of someone hurting your family. Bending down, you feel around under your bed until your hand comes across the dust-covered baseball bat you've been storing for emergencies. Although, when you had originally placed it there, you had hoped you would never have to use it.

You stand up onto wobbly legs, clutching the baseball bat so tightly that your hands begin to tremble profusely. As you tip-toe in the direction of the door, chest pounding, hands shaking, breath quickening, you feel for the cold metal doorknob. Once your hand finds its way onto the doorknob, you quickly open the door and leap out into the hallway before aimlessly swinging the bat around in various direction, as if expecting it to collide with a body. It doesn't. Great, the bloody bastard is somewhere else in the house.

Just then, as if on cue, another crash pierces through the air, breaking the silence. You whip your head towards the source of the sound and tighten your grip on the bat, feeling determined.

Every step you take down the hallway feels like trekking through a thick layer of quicksand. The incessant jittering in your legs doesn't make it any easier, unfortunately. And though you're desperate to rid your home of whoever is present, you can't seem to suppress the constant dread that's bubbling to the surface, both for your safety, and for the safety of your mom; the only family you have. If anything ever happened to her, you'd have no one, and that probably frightens you more than anything: the thought of being alone.  
The closer you get, the louder and more relentless the noises become. It then occurs to you that whoever is here must be looking for something, and it must be very valuable to them...but what?

Eventually, you reach the doorway to the kitchen. The noises still haven't stopped, meaning that you haven't been detected yet. Good. With that in mind, you take a deep breath before entering the kitchen.

"I know you're in here. W-why are you here? What do you want? What did you do with my mother?" You demand, trying your very best to sound intimidating.

Just then, the banging ceases, and it's just you and the intruder. And although the world is pitch black, you can still feel a pair of eyes burning into your skull. You fully expect whoever is there to start charging at you then and there, but they don't.

So you speak again. "Who are you?" Again, no reply.

Until out of nowhere, the scuffing of boots against tile echoes through the air. Bracing yourself for the attack, you take a step forward and ready your bat, but find yourself once again swinging at nothing but air.  
Then suddenly, you hear a door swing open then slam shut in the distance. Huh? They left? But why?

And then they are gone, just like that. And you haven't got a clue what their intention was when they broke into your house, or what they wanted with your mother. All you know is that your mother just happened to be one of the casualties of their wrath. And whether she's dead or gone, you don't know, but now... All you want is to be gone with her. Mom was the only set of eyes you ever had in this godforsaken world, and with her gone, the world is just a dark abyss of perpetual nothingness.

Feeling hopeless and defeated, the only thing you can think of to do now is run. Run far far away until your heart can't keep up and your legs give in and you eventually just... Dissipate. So that's what you do. You make a careless dash for the door in a flurry of emotions, only to meet the inevitable fate of tripping on a broken fragment jutting off the floor. Shrieking, you extend your hands out instinctively in hopes of catching yourself, but instead you ram one of your palms into a piece of broken glass.

Screaming in agony, you feel for the piece of glass that's puncturing your skin and yank it out brutally, not wanting to feel it digging into your palm anymore. Endless tears spill down your cheeks while you cradle your injured hand, whimpering and moaning in pain.

Paper towels. You need paper towels. You stand up and cautiously step towards the counter. After groping around the countertop, you reach for the roll of paper towels and immediately start unraveling the roll and wrapping it around your palm.  
Feeling satisfied, you tie the ends of the paper towel together and exhale in relief. Maybe now you won't bleed to death, although part of you secretly hoped you would.

.....

Returning back to your previous focus before your hand was injured, you once again make a run for it. Fortunately, this time, though, you don't trip over anything. After running outside, you immediately slow down to a steadier pace. You're still blind Frisk, you think to yourself, you've gotta think this through.  
  
After pondering the direction you're going to go, you eventually start walking to your left. You recall your mother telling you not to go this way once when you were little. She said a few miles that way lies a mountain that goes by the name of Mount Ebott. The way she described it always gave you goosebumps, but now... You are just curious.

  
After about an hour, you finally noticed the ground level start to elevate. You speculate that this must be the base of the mountain.  
As you ascend up the mountain, you begin to recollect everything that happened today. The crashing of glass cups and ceramic plates, the thudding of cupboards being opened and shut, the stomping of footsteps against tile floor...it all just made you sick to your stomach. Why couldn't it have been you that had been found first? Why couldn't it have been you that had died? Your mother didn't deserve this. She was nothing but nice and patient with you your whole life, and now it's like her existence was wiped away. The thought just made you want to break down and cry.

Then, all of a sudden, you're falling. And not the metaphorical kind of falling, but... Falling. It happens so fast that you don't even have a chance to catch yourself. Then, before you know it, you're plummeting down down down into the unknown. The only thing you can think of doing is just squeeze your eyes shut and await death.

But death never comes.

You wake up with a stiff back and aching limbs, but that's it, with the exception of your injured hand of course. Peeling your eyes open, though that didn't really make a difference given your circumstances, you sit up and feel the ground underneath you. Flowers? But how? Are you dead? No...you can't be. If you were dead you wouldn't still be blind, would you?

Feeling bewildered, you lift yourself off the ground and start searching for an exit.  
It isn't until your senses have fully returned to you that you realize you're freezing. Where are you? Did you somehow stumble across an unknown cave?

"Howdy! I'm Flowey. Flowey the flower," a bittersweet voice echoes in the distance. You find yourself unknowingly flinch at the voice, though you don't know why.  
"Hey, you! Over here!" It calls again in that strange, oddly sinister voice. Although you don't want to, you feel almost compelled to oblige to the flower's request. You inch closer.

"There you go...hmm," Flowey pauses. "You're new to the Underground aren't ya? Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do!" The flower giggles. You can feel your skin crawl at the voice, but you try not to let your apprehension show. That is, until the strangest feeling washes over you.

Right in the center of your chest where your heart is supposed to be, you feel a twinge so minor, that it's barely even there. Then, it becomes a series of painful spasms. You clutch your chest with your hand and wince at the unpleasant sensation. It almost feels like your heart is swirling around in random directions inside of you.

"W-what are you doing to me?" You stutter in fear. The creature giggles again in that incredibly unsettling way.

"That pain you are feeling is your soul, the very culmination of your being. Your soul starts off weak, but you can grow strong if you gain LV." None of this is making any sense to you, but you listen anyways.  
"What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE of course! You want some LOVE don't you?" Something about the way Flowey was emphasizing the word "love" doesn't sound right to you. It almost sounds wrong.

"Don't worry," it speaks again. "I'll share some with you!" At this, you panic. What are they talking about? What are they planning on doing to you? Not wanting anything to do with this thing, you quickly dodge whatever is about to hit you.

It seems like this angers them. "You idiot. In this world it's kill or be killed." You shriek. Without your sight, there's no way you'll be able to live through whatever this creature is planning.

Then, suddenly, the sizzling of a flame whips past you, followed by a woman's voice. "What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth." Something about the voice calms your nerves and puts you at ease. It reminds you of your mother.

"I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come down here in a long time."

"Human? Does that mean you're not human?" You ask in bewilderment.

"No, my child. None of us are," Toriel replies calmly.

"'Us?' Meaning there are more of your kind?"  
  
"Yes. We are all trapped down here. We..." she hesitated, "I'll explain more about it later. Now come, I will guide you through the catacombs."

You feel a furry paw grab onto your uninjured hand, and you immediately relax. This person, no, creature, clearly has no intention of hurting you, and this soothes you. You still have many questions about this "Underground" and "Ruins," but you decide to keep your inquiries to yourself until you and Toriel find a time to talk.

.....

You wake up snuggled in a cozy bed. The sweet aroma of butterscotch and a hint of cinnamon fills your nose, and you're immediately reminded of home. "Mom..." You murmur absentmindedly.

"Actually, it is Toriel," Toriel chuckles. Oh... All the memories from yesterday come flooding back to you, and you feel your chest ache with a series of emotions. Before you can stop it, a flood of tears begin pouring out of your eyes. You fling yourself into Toriel's arms and sob into her chest. She seems shocked at first, but eventually wraps her arms around you and holds you gently against her, as if afraid you'll break.  
It's just too much. You didn't deserve this, and neither did your mother, but clearly world hasn't been very merciful, or else this never would have happened. Why did this have to happen? Why couldn't you have just been given a normal life where God didn't leave you with a pair of sightless eyes? Or a normal life where your mom wasn't killed by some unknown entity? Or a normal life where you didn't fall into a cave filled with monsters who just wanted to be freed? Why did it have to be you? Why did it have to be you?

"I reapplied some proper bandages onto that wound on your hand," Toriel blurts. "I don't think you remember since you were only half awake when I did it but..." You stifle another sob and nod graciously, wiping your eyes.

"Thank you," you whisper, reaching forward and feeling for the soft fur on her face. You gently stroke it affectionately and cup her cheek in your hand like a child would do to her mother. You can't begin to express your gratitude for everything Toriel's done for you. She's like a mother to you, yet... You know what you must do.

"Toriel?"

"Yes, my child?"

"When can I leave the Ruins?" Toriel stiffens, seeming uncomfortable with this particular topic.

"Leave? But dear, this is your home now."

"Believe me, I would love to stay here with you, but I can't. I just... I think it's time for me to move on." Toriel sighs, pondering your words.

"You're right. There's nothing here for you. I know that now. But... It would be nice if you'd stay." Her words send a wave of guilt through me and you can't help but feel remorse for wanting to leave, but you know it's what you must do.

"Anyways," Toriel sniffs. "I'll show you to the door." She grabs your hand and leads you out of your room and down a step of stairs. After you and Toriel walk through a long corridor, she eventually stops and lets go of your hand.

"This is it. Are you sure you're ready to leave so soon?"

"I'm ready," You say, ready to explore what this underground world has to offer. And with that, you step forward and heave the door open before walking through.


	2. Meeting the Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet the infamous skeleton brothers, Sans and Papyrus, but you notice yourself growing especially attached to one of them in particular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first story, meaning that there might be some random plot holes here and there, so just bear with me and try not to judge it too harshly. I promise I will put this story together with the best of my ability. 
> 
> Updates will be frequent, unless you're noted otherwise.

Once you finally exit the Ruins, the first thing you notice is the crunching of snow under your shoes. Considering the fact that it's still autumn back on the surface, it's strange for it to be snowing this early on. The cool, bitter air bites at your bare neck, and you find yourself shivering under your thin, striped sweater. Trying to keep on the path, you keep walking the same direction you came from, but you can't help but have an unsettling suspicion in the pit of your stomach; like you're being watched. You shrug it off and keep walking, trying to compose yourself. That is until you hear the loud snap of a twig behind you. Now in full panic mode, you break into a jog, but it's no use. The footsteps grow louder and louder until suddenly...they stop.

"H u m a n. . . D o n t  y o u  k n o w  h o w  t o  g r e e t  a  n e w  p a l ?" A low, husky voice drawls behind you. Startled, you whip around and stagger backwards in fear.

"T u r n  a r o u n d  a n d  s h a k e  m y  h a n d." What? Shake his hand? Hell no!

"Did you- did you not hear me? I said shake my hand," he repeats again, his voice shifting slightly in tone to sound somewhat less menacing.

"O-oh, s-sorry." You reach out with a trembling hand and grab onto a rather bony one. Then, pfffffffttttttt.

"Heh heh, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It's always funny," he chuckles in amusement, proud of himself. You stand there in astonishment, but can't help but let out small giggle at the ridiculous antic you just witnessed.

"Anyways," he continues, seemingly satisfied with himself. "You're a human, right? That's hilarious." _Almost as hilarious as a skeleton,_ you mutter under your breath. He appears to hear this and scoffs in fake hurt.

"Not here, it isn't. I'm Sans, Sans the skeleton. I'm- Hey wait a minute, what's up with your eyes?" You consider his question, before replying.

"I'm blind," You respond nonchalantly.

"Blind you say? That's a shame. Most people are thrilled when they see these good looks of mine for the first time."

You laugh, shaking your head. This is nowhere near what you were expecting. Although it's nice when someone doesn't want to murder you for a change.

"Oh, really? For some reason I thought they'd...see right through you," you grin slyly. Sans chuckles. He seems to appreciate your pun.

You don't know why you feel so comfortable around a guy you were almost positive wanted to murder you a minute ago. Maybe it's his carefree attitude that's got you so relaxed. You wonder if Sams is always this laid-back.

"Well as I was saying, I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now, but... y'know... I don't really care for capturing anybody. Now my brother, Papyrus, he's a human-hunting fanatic. Hey, actually, I think that's him over there. I have an idea. Go through this gate thingy." You raise an eyebrow at him expectantly until he finally catches on. "Just keep walking forward. I'll tell you when to stop."

You nod and stroll through the gate, then continue walking until you ram right into San's back. _Well so much for telling you when to stop._

"Quick," Sans whispers frantically, "behind that conveniently shaped lamp." You blink at him. "You know... The one right over there." You narrow your eyes impatiently.

"I'm just messing with you, sheesh lady. C'mere," He laughs. Before you can object, Sans snatches your wrist and pulls you into his chest. You aren't sure why but you feel your face heat up from the contact. "Now stay right here and don't move." Sans then lets go of your hand and walks away, snapping you out of your daze.

"Sup bro?" Sans slurs casually as you shuffle behind the lamp.

"YOU KNOW WHAT 'SUP' BROTHER," a booming voice reverberates through the air. The voice itself catches you so off guard, you almost stumble backwards and reveal your hiding spot.

"IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES..." He continues rambling on about how lazy Sans is and how he will capture a human—preferably not you—and by the looks, or, sound of it, this Papyrus seems very egotistical.

"....ALL YOU DO IS SIT AROUND AND BOONDOGGLE. YOU GET LAZIER AND LAZIER EVERY DAY."

"Hey, take it easy," Sans replies coolly. "I've gotten a _ton_ of work done today. A skele-ton." You snort and clamp your hand over your mouth to prevent yourself from bursting into a fit of laughter. Those brothers sure are... well they're something. Once you're sure Papyrus has left, you walk out from behind the lamp.  
"Is your brother always this... Vibrant?" You ask, smirking.

"Yup. That's Papyrus. Always so assured with himself...hey, what happened to your hand?" You bite your lip and grimace at the memory.

"Hey no need to...skullk. It's going, ti-bia okay." Even though you can't see San's face, you're almost positive he just winked at you. You roll your eyes.

"You're impossible."

"You know it." You smile.

"But seriously... My brother could fix that up for you," he suggests.

"Nah. It's okay. Tor- I mean, a friend, patched it up for me not that long ago."

"No, I mean, he can actually fix it up for you." You still aren't sure what he means, so you just shrug it off.

"I'm not so sure your brother would be willing to help out," you lower your voice to a whisper for dramatic effect, "a _human_ very much."

Sans laughs. "Trust me, he'll come around. Speaking of which, I was thinking, my brother's been kind of down lately. He's never seen a human before, and seeing you might just make his day. Think you can help me out?"

"I'll see what I can do," you reply genuinely.

"Thanks a million. Just follow me." Sans grabs your hand again and leads you through the snow. You half expect San's hand to be cold due to its boney structure, but it's surprisingly warm. Not warm like the way a human hand feels, but pleasant. Maybe he wears gloves? Or maybe he just keeps his hands stuffed in his pockets all the time. Do skeletons even wear coats?

"Whatcha thinkin'?" Sans cuts in. You blush, feeling Sans smirking at you, but before you get a chance to respond Sans interrupts again.

"Hey Papyrus, look what I found." Sans lets go of your hand and nudges your arm, urging you forward.

"WHAT? COULD THAT BE... A HUMAN?" Papyrus gasps.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask it." You elbow Sans in the rib cage in annoyance, then wince and jerk your arm away. Right, they're skeletons. He snickers behind you.

"YOU THERE," you assume Papyrus is talking to you. "ARE YOU A HUMAN?"

"Yup."

"REALLY?" Papyrus asks hopefully.

"Yup."

"WOWEE." Papyrus clears his throat. "HUMAN, YOU SHALL NOT PASS THIS AREA. FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL STOP YOU. NYEH HEH HEH!" He cackles proudly before skittering away. You giggle at Papyrus's dramatic proclamation.

"You know, I don't think I ever caught your name," Sans comments momentarily after Papyrus has left, coming up beside you.

"Frisk," you mumble.

"Frisk..." he enunciates, as if testing the word on the tip of his tongue. "Never heard that one before."

"I don't like it," you utter, shrugging.

"Well if it's any consolation, I think it's cute. Mostly cause it's different." He pauses, as if observing your expression. "Like you." Then he's gone, leaving you dumbfounded.

.....

It's a lot harder to get around without Sans guiding you, but eventually you manage to reach a cozy little town apparently called Snowdin. By now, Sans has popped up briefly here and there and has given you frequent warnings about his brother's tendency to use set traps and use certain attacks, not that you were planning on fighting him in the first place. Papyrus seems determined to capture you, yet you aren't even the slightest bit frightened due to Papyrus's lucid passiveness.

Once you arrive, a resident in Snowdin informs you Papyrus is waiting for you just past the town.

"Just keep walking straight down from where you came. It's not that far. Just listen for the river. I can help you if you want," a woman says to you.

"It's alright. I'll find my way eventually," you assure her.

At times like this, you wish more than anything that you could see. It never really bothered you too much before, but just so you could watch the monsters in Snowdin live their everyday lives and get a feel for what the Underground is really like, it would be nice if you weren't as blind as a bat. But, of course, everything is just pitch-black no matter what you do, and that's just the way it's always gonna be.

You listen for the river, like the woman told you to, and eventually you make it to a place that feels unfamiliar to you. The temperature has dropped a startlingly abundant amount all of a sudden, and clusters of snowflakes gather in your hair. It feels almost like being caught in a snowstorm. 

"I SEE YOU'VE MADE IT HUMAN," Papyrus, unsurprisingly, says. "WELL? ARE YOU READY TO BE BESTOWED UPON BY MY PRESTIGIOUS ATTACKS?"

"Not really," you admit.

"OH." Papyrus seems confused by your response. "WELL... HOW ABOUT NOW?"

"Eh." You try to appear doubtful.

"DON'T FRET HUMAN. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL GO EASY ON YOU."

"Papyrus," you say, but he doesn't seem to hear you. Then suddenly, before you have time to react, something hard roughly smacks against your ankles, causing you to trip and face plant right into the snow.

"OH MY," Papyrus mumbles with obvious remorse. "Gee...I-I didn't mean to do that. H-human, I must assist you at once." You groan in reply and roll over onto your back as a rather lanky pair of arms pick you up and carry you away. Pretty soon, the combination of your exhaustion and the throbbing pain in your ankles both cause you to drift off.

"Tell me again how this happened?" Sans asks, obvious concern and a little bit of irritation dripping from his voice.

"WELL, SANS," Papyrus responds, clearly uncomfortable. "I TOLD THE HUMAN I WAS GOING TO GO EASY ON THEM. SO I DID. BUT THEY- AND THEN I- WELL NOT INTENTIONALLY- AND SO- I DIDN'T MEAN TO- I-"

"Papyrus, she's blind," Sans utters bluntly, interrupting him.

"SANS!" Papyrus exclaims. "THERE'S NO NEED TO DEFEND THE HUMAN. MY ATTACKS WERE JUST TOO BRILLIANTLY SUBSTANTIAL FOR THEIR PUNY REFLEXES."

"No, I mean, she's actually blind."

"OH." Geez, is Papyrus always this oblivious? "I SEE."

"Hey, while she's still unconscious, why don't you heal that hand of hers?" Sans begins again. Heal?

"SANS, YOU NEVER TOLD ME WHY WE ARE HELPING THIS HUMAN ANYWAYS."

"Just do it." They're joking right? You can't actually 'heal' someone, can you?

Then, all of a sudden, a burst of tingles erupts on your injured hand, spreading all throughout the surface of your palm. It feels somewhat pleasant, but also immensely painful at the same time, causing you to squirm slightly. Then, soon, the tingling goes away completely.

The room is silent, giving you the impression that you're alone. You pop your eyes open and sit up slowly, but find yourself falling back down again from the intense swirling in your head. But before your head can hit the pillow, a set of boney hands gently grasps you by the small of your back and sit you up again.

"Hey, take it easy. You're still weak from my brother's magic," Sans says softly.

"What...?" You mumble drowsily. Your fingers gingerly trail down to your hand. When your fingers brush against bare skin, you jerk it away in shock.

"M-my wound. I-It's gone," you stutter.

"I told you Papyrus would fix it," Sans chuckles, holding your shoulders to steady you. You sit in silence, folding your hands in your lap hesitantly.

"You called me cute earlier," you blurt out suddenly.

"Did I?" Sans questions innocently. "That doesn't sound like me."

You flush in irritation, though you don't know why. "So you take it back?"

"I never said that."

"Then why?"

"You just seemed really down. And it seemed like the right thing to say."

"Oh." You try not to let the disappointment in your voice show.

"Why?" Sans asks, leaning in close to your ear, making your breath hitch. "Do you want me to think you're cute?"

"N-no!" You exclaim, blushing furiously. "I have a boyfriend you know. W-well I did. I mean- I still do. He's just..." Sans suddenly bursts into a fit of laughter.

"What?" I snap defensively.

"You don't have to lie to me, Frisk. I was just messing with you."

"Oh... Well how do you know I was lying?"

"Were you?"

"Maybe," you mumble sheepishly.

"Hey, no need to be embarrassed about it," Sans chuckles.

You sigh, considering your next words. "Sans... Do you think-"

"SANS! WE'RE ALL OUT OF SPAGHETTI," Papyrus suddenly declares, busting into the room.

"Then go get some more."

"WHAT A BRILLIANT IDEA. I'LL GO BUY SOME NOW. NYEH HEH HEH." And then he's gone.

"So what were you saying?" Sans asks.

"Oh, nothing."

"Okay, well, you should probably sleep...or...whatever," he suggests, getting off the bed.

"Hey Sans?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you look like?" Sans is silent, considering your question. For a second you think he's just going to leave the room without answering your question.

"Nothing special," he finally says. Before you even get a chance to reply, the door shuts, leaving you alone in the room.


	3. Where's Papyrus?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I guess you'll just have to find out...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope I'm not rushing this story too much. I always feel like I do that when I write stories, so I hope this one is going at a moderately fair pace.
> 
> Sorry if this chapter seems short than my last two. I feel like it added more to the suspense.

You wake up a couple hours later from a dreamless sleep. After getting out of bed—well, San's bed—you walk out the door and rub your eyes sleepily.

"Sans?" you call. "Papyrus?"

"OH! HUMAN. I SEE YOU'RE UP," Papyrus's sprightly voice hollers back from the adjacent room. As much as you love Papyrus's optimism, it can give you a bit of a headache sometimes.

"Yeah, I suppose I am," you say, yawning. "Where's Sans?"

Papyrus's voice falters slightly. "I don't know. He left about an hour ago after checking on you. Never told me where he was going. He said he'd be back soon though." You nod, too drowsy to properly process his words.

Suddenly, a loud sputter emits in the air from what you assume is the kitchen, startling you. "Uh, Papyrus? What are you making in there?"

"WHY, SPAGHETTI OF COURSE!" Papyrus replies enthusiastically, his normal chirpy attitude returning. You take a step towards the kitchen; the smell of over cooked pasta and sauce fills your nostrils. So he is. You scrunch up your nose. 

"Weren't you just eating spaghetti a couple hours ago?"

"THAT IS CORRECT!" Papyrus says.

"And now you're eating it again?" You ask, raising an eyebrow.

"YES! WHY SPAGHETTI IS ONLY THE MOST SUFFICIENT DISH FOR MY IMPECCABLE TASTE," Papyrus chortles cockily. You don't know why, but Papyrus's consistent enthusiasm makes you feel somewhat self conscious, not that it's anything against him personally.

"Okay.... Yeah um...." You rub the back of your neck awkwardly. "Well I think I'm going to go out for a bit, and maybe try to find Sans." you say, unable to think of anything else to say to Papyrus.

"OH, RIGHT, BEFORE YOU DEPART HUMAN. MY BROTHER AND I WERE TALKING, AND AFTER MY BRILLIANT PROPOSAL, WE HAVE COME TO THE UNANIMOUS AGREEMENT OF LETTING YOU STAY HERE," Papyrus informs you proudly, although part of you knows it wasn't entirely Papyrus's idea for you to stay.

"Oh, well, thank you very much, Papyrus. I guess I'll see you later then," you smile with genuine appreciation before strolling out the door. Now... where could Sans be?

You assume nighttime must be approaching, considering the temperature has dropped a significant amount since earlier. Or maybe it's just your lack of a proper winter jacket that's got you so convinced it's chillier--you don't know. It feels like hours since you left the skeleton brothers' house and you have yet to find Sans. You wonder if this was maybe just a bad idea. Besides, Sans has got to come home eventually, right?

You begin to grow extremely anxious and your body starts to shake all over from a combination of both your nerves and the coldness. What if you don't remember how to get home? It's not like you have any means of remembering without your eyesight. And your sense of direction and memorization is terrible, not to mention. Would Papyrus even bother to come looking for you if he noticed you hadn't come back? Would Sans?

"You look lost, little lady. What's the holdup?" Sans speaks out of nowhere, a hint of amusement in his voice. You let out a breath of relief.

"Geez Sans, you really had me worried there. Papyrus too. We weren't sure where you went."

He chuckles. "So you were worried about me, huh?" You tilt your head at him in disbelief.

"Not funny." Sans sighs. You can hear him pacing back and forth in front of you, and you wonder what could be wrong.

"Why do you even care?" This question catches you off guard, and you gnaw on your bottom lip, considering your answer. Why _do_ you care? It's not like you and Sans are exactly friends. You haven't even known the guy for much more than a day, you'd say. You're barely even acquaintances. So why do you suddenly feel so fond of him? And Papyrus too, although there's a different, lighter kind of fondness you feel for him. Both of the skeleton brothers have intrigued you ever since you arrived here. Maybe it's because they're really the only company you have.

"I.... I don't know," you answer honestly, feeling almost like you let Sans down in a way.

Sans snorts humorlessly. "Well here's the thing about me: I'm nobody, got it? Just... go. Go home, Frisk. I'm sure your family misses you dearly. I sure would." Something about San's tone of voice breaks your heart and infuriates you at the same time. You clench your fists.

"You wanna know something, Sans? I don't _have_ a family anymore," you spit, anger bubbling up inside you. "My mother was _murdered_ , Sans. Murdered in the same house as me, while I was sleeping."

"Frisk...." Sans attempts to place a sympathetic hand on your shoulder, but you shrug it off.

You continue with your emotional outburst, jabbing Sans in the rib cage with your finger. "You think you're the only one who feels like a nobody? I have nothing. And I'm not saying that because I want you to think my life is worse than yours. I'm saying it because it's true. My mother was murdered. And my dad? My dad left when I was two years old because he thought I was just another burden. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to be born. I was--as most would say--an accident. And I don't have any friends because everyone thinks I'm a loser just because I'm nothing like them. And to answer your question earlier, I did lie. I've never had a single boyfriend in my life because every time I try to get close to someone, they toss me aside like I'm garbage. What does that prove about me? I have nobody, Sans, nobody...." At this point, tears are already spilling out of your eyes. In the midst of your sorrows, you feel a jacket being draped around your shivering body, and you immediately snuggle into it for warmth.

"And I'm starting to think they're right...." You whisper, almost inaudibly. Another tear slides down your cheek and lingers there.

"Cmon, Frisk, Let's go back to my place," Sans breathes, intertwining your fingers together; you can hear the deep remorse and empathy in San's voice as he speaks, which surprisingly helps suppress your emotions. You walk together in silence, though you never really minded the silence so much.

By the time you arrive, your legs are aching from the walk back, and your heart is heavy with an abundance of emotions, overflowing you with weariness. All you really want to do now is sit around and do nothing. So that's what you do. You snuggle onto the couch with San's warm jacket laid across your lap and contemplate life. Because at this point, that's the only thing you have the energy to do.

Papyrus and Sans make minimal effort to speak to you for the rest of the day. The only time they do talk to you is when they're attempting to give you something to eat, which you very seldom accept. It's almost like they're afraid you're going to eventually snap under the pressure and lose your mind completely. Not that you can blame them. You wish you could assure them that everything's going to be okay, but you aren't even entirely sure if you're going to be okay yourself.

A significant amount of time has passed and you still haven't moved from your spot on the couch. But right before you are about to drift off to sleep, you hear a faint whisper tickle your ear.

"Just so you know, they were wrong." His breath his hot against your ear, sending shivers down your spine.

You never let those words leave your mind.  
……...

That night, you dream about your mother.  
You dream of her laugh, the way it used to ring in your ears like chiming bells. You dream of her singing, the way her silky smooth voice lulled you to sleep every time. You dream of cinnamon rolls; the sweet, sticky ones your mother would always bake in the mornings whenever she was especially happy. You loved it when mom was happy. It made you happy with her. But, of course, you never knew what your mother looked like. You didn't know what anyone looked like, for that matter. The only way you can distinguish who anyone is is by the sound of their voice. And not even that is very reliable most of the time.

Then, you dream of your mother's sudden, but traumatizing death. The banging, the crashes, the pattering of feet, all correlating with the cause of your mother's death. But yet... Because of your blindness, you couldn't even see a murderer who was standing right in front of you. The thought of it made you feel so useless. You hated being the victim. Why does it have to hurt so much?

………

You wake up soaked in sweat. San's jacket is draped around your body as a blanket, and your head is resting on your currently limp arm, which is casually slung over the couch armrest.

"You snore loudly when you sleep." Startled, you shriek in surprise and jerk up into a sitting position, giving yourself whiplash in the process.

"Ugh, Sans. You scared the hell out of me," you mutter, rubbing your sore neck.

"Sorry," Sans replies meekly. "So what were you dreaming about?"

You blink at him. "Are you always this shady, or am I just lucky?"

"Are you always this grumpy, or am I just-"

"Don't say it," you groan.

"-getting under your skin?" You smack Sans on the arm in exasperation, the corners of your mouth twitching into a smile.

"So, you never answered my question. What did you dream about?" Sans asks curiously.

You shrug, trying to appear calm. "Nothing interesting."

"Don't lie to me, Frisk. I can see right through you."

"Was that supposed to be another pun?"

"Stop avoiding the question."

You exhale, pursing your lips. "I was dreaming about my mother," you explain with a pained expression.

"You know, you never told me how your mother was... um...." he trails off, clearly uncertain with his question.

You hesitate. "I woke up... To a crash. At first, I thought it was my mother dropping a pan in the kitchen. She did that a lot. But then, when I tried to call her name, she didn't answer. And mom always answered my calls. It was kind of her reminder that I wasn't alone, really. And then the sounds kept getting louder and louder and that's when my paranoia started to collapse in on me. I grabbed a bat from under the bed to defend myself and went out of the room, but by the time I got to the kitchen, it ran away. But the strange thing was... It didn't kill me. It didn't even come near me. It was like it was scared of me. Honestly, I was half convinced I was the monster and I was the one who had just destroyed a house and a family. But I knew in my heart I would never be able to do something that cruel."

You continue. "I was so... afraid, Sans. I just felt so weak and vulnerable, and for a while, I just wanted to die. My mom was the only chance I had at living a somewhat normal life and then that chance was taken away from me." You smile sadly. "Then I found this place. On accident of course, but it was a good kind of accident. A-and I met so many nice people who actually treat me like one of them. It's a change, but I like it." You wipe away a tear that rolls down your face with the back of your sleeve, sniffling.

"I could fix them, you know.... Your eyes, I mean. I could fix them." You could barely process what he was saying. Your jaw drops to the floor in astonishment.

"Y-you mean, you could make me see?"

"I could....for a price."

Your heart sinks. "A price?"

Sans chuckles and shoves you lightly. "I'm just joking. Of course I'll fix your eyes for you. It's the least I could do after everything you've been through. The only problem is... My magic. It isn't fully recharged yet. And in order to do something that permanent, I'm going to need all of it."

You blink. "Magic? Is that what Papyrus used to heal my hand? Magic?"

"Yup. And I've got it too."

You play with your fingers, which are currently folded on your lap. "So how long will it take for your magic to recharge, anyways?"

"A couple days at the most. Two, three-"

You cut in. "So you're saying.... That in two or three days, I might actually get a chance at seeing the world? At seeing colors? At seeing you?" You quickly correct yourself. "At seeing your kind?" Your eyes are brimming with tears.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," he says with equal enthusiasm. "Now-"

"Hey wait a minute," you interrupt. "Where's Papyrus? I haven't heard a peep out of him this whole time."

"I dunno. He should still be in the house." Sans pauses. "Papyrus? You still here?" he calls. The room is silent.

"Maybe he's just sleeping?" you suggest.

"No no...." Sans replies. "H-he should be up by now." You hear him move around the house. "Papyrus?" You hear a door open. "You there buddy?"

Sans comes back. "He's gone, Frisk. He just vanished."

"Maybe he teleported," you joke.

"No.... Only I can do that." Wait what?

"Of course you can," you mutter. "But there's no way he could've left the house. We would have seen or heard him. There's no windows in Papyrus's room is there?"

"There's one. But I sealed it with magic after all the times Papyrus snuck out to go to Grillby's. And the only other windows are in here, but of course, like you said, we would have seen him."

You swallow. "Is it possible... Someone else could have broken the seal?"

Sans is silent, then sucks in a breath. "No. No no no. It can't be. It's impossible."

"What?" you ask. You can feel panic rising up in your body from Sans' edgy tone of voice. "What's impossible?"

"Chara..."


	4. Let me in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus has mysteriously vanished and you're now on the verge of insanity with Chara now inside your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Valentine's Day guys!!! So I may not be posting another chapter tomorrow because I'm planning on going out for most of the day, but I promise I will definitely have another chapter up by Tuesday if not tomorrow.

"What are you talking about? Who's Cha-" You choke on your words. Before the name is about to pass your lips, you feel a searing pain in the center of your chest, like someone is twisting a knife around ruthlessly inside your body. The sensation is so excruciating that you find yourself hunching over and coughing up blood. What the hell?

"Sans..." you wheeze, clutching your stomach. "W-what's happening to me?"

"Hey hey hey, just breathe, Frisk," he urges soothingly while rubbing circles on your back. "And don't say that name."

"Why? Who is she?" Sans doesn't answer.

"Just... Stay here. I'll lock the doors and surround the entire perimeter in magic to keep you safe. Just don't leave the house. Okay? Please Frisk. You've just gotta trust me." You've never heard Sans this troubled before, so you decide to trust him.

You nod, "Okay. Just, please, don't get yourself killed."

Sans chuckles. "No promises." After building up your courage, you reach forward and feel for San's skeletal face, cupping it in your hands. After making sure he doesn't pull away, you stand up on your tippy toes and linger there for a moment before brushing your lips delicately on his forehead. You aren't sure what compelled you to do it; it just felt like the right thing to do at the time. Plus, you don't like seeing Sans this way.

"Heh, thanks," Sans mumbles sheepishly after you pull away. It makes you wonder if he ever blushes. "I'll see ya later Frisk."  
......

All you've done the whole time Sans has left has involved pacing around the house and listening for the faint creak of the front door. Being alone like this is one of the many things that makes you hate being blind; it's like sitting in a dark room by yourself inside a mental institution. You still have no idea what Sans was referring to earlier, or who Chara is, but just the name itself makes your stomach queasy. And no matter what you do, you can't stop thinking about the name, like trying to repress a bad memory jammed at the back of your mind that keeps popping up at any given moment.

Chara.... Why are you doing this to me? And why do I feel like I know you?

_"Because you do know me."_ A faint voice echoes in the back of your mind. You gasp and whip your head around, as if expecting someone to be speaking from behind you.

"Who's there?" You shout, warily darting your eyes around the silent room. As if that's any help to you.

"Did that come from me?" You muse aloud, your heart pounding with tension. There's no sign of any obvious presence, but yet you know you can feel something resonating somewhere in the back of your mind.

_"No, it came from me,"_ the voice sings back. This time you _know_ you aren't imagining things.

"C-Chara?" You stutter, a slight tremor in your voice. This is who Sans was talking about. How did they find who you are? And why are they inside your head?

A horrible cackling erupts out of nowhere, gradually increasing to sound more unbearably high-pitched; like nails on a chalkboard. You wonder if this is what people with schizophrenia feel like. (I really hope I'm not offending anyone with this comment.)

Then, suddenly, you see a flash of crimson red pass your eyes. You haven't the faintest clue how you know it's red you're seeing--t's really just a hunch. Yet it feels too surreal. You're blind for Christ's sake. How the hell are you seeing anything other than pitch black?

You notice that the blurred image appears to be in the shape of a silhouette. A girl, most likely, by the shape of it. You remember learning from anatomy class that girls' bodies are supposedly more "curvy" than guys.' Of course, because you're blind, you've never been able to tell the difference besides what you've heard from other people. You even recall hearing girls say things to one another in the bathrooms at school like "Man, I wish I had your curves," or "Man, I wish my thighs were as skinny as yours." You never really found it relevant now that you think about it, what size your body is and whatnot. Big thighs sounded just as nice as small thighs. They function just the same, after all. You remember asking your mother one time what your thighs looked like, whether they were skinny or thick. She just said they were beautiful, though that never really answered your question. (FYI no, Frisk is not thinking about womans' thighs in the middle of a confrontation with Chara. I just thought I'd put this in to explain how Frisk knows what a silhouette is. It also adds to her backstory.)

As you watch the figure float in front of you, it's features start to distort into a more horrifyingly grotesque image of a girl with blood dripping from her empty sockets. You try to blink it away, but that only makes the figure more apparent. Then, it goes away completely, and that repulsive giggling returns. Something about the sound just makes you want to tear all the individual hairs out of your head and curl up into a ball.

_"Frisk,"_ Chara taunts maliciously, _"why are you so afraid of me?"_

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" You scream, tugging at your hair in agitation. Little by little you can feel dizziness crashing over you as you struggle to get back onto your feet. All you really want to do is pass out...just to make the pain go away. But part of you knows Chara wants you conscious as she mercilessly tears away at your dwindling sanity.

_"Now, now. Is that really the way to speak to...say, an old friend?"_

"Stop lying! What the hell do you want from me?" You sob, slumping to the floor and clutching your head in your hand. 

The voice speaks again with a certain urgency in its tone. _"Frisk...."_ It hisses. _"Let me in Frisk."_

"NO! I HATE YOU! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Suddenly, you feel a pair of arms drape around your torso, hauling you up. Naturally, you start thrashing and kicking to get out of their grip as tears stream down your face.

"Jesus, Frisk, calm down. It's just me," Sans grunts in pain, putting you back down.

You immediately relax, though the trembling doesn't stop. "S-Sans?"

"In the flesh." He pauses for a second to laugh at his unintentional pun, then returns his attention back to you. "Are you alright? I heard you screaming from outside the house."

"I..... It's Chara. I think she found me somehow."

"Well that explains the screaming. How do you know it was her? What exactly happened while I was gone?" Sans questions with obvious concern laced in his voice.

You open your mouth to reply, but then Papyrus suddenly bursts into the room, gasping for air. "HUMAN, IS EVERYTHING ALRIGHT? I HEARD THE SCREAMING, SO I FIGURED-"

"I'm fine guys." You lie, though you appreciate their friendliness. "We can talk about this later, okay?" You try to think of something else to say to change the subject. "Where'd you find Papyrus, anyways?"

"Undyne's," Sans replies. "Supposedly he was teleported there, so you were partially right, although I'm not sure I understand why."

Papyrus jumps in. "IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I WAS TELEPORTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRAW YOU AWAY FROM THE HOUSE, AND FROM THE HUMAN?"

"It's possible. Who's Undyne anyways?" You ask.

"A friend of Papyrus's. Nobody you know," Sans answers rather quickly.

You raise an eyebrow in suspicion. "Can I meet them?"

He hesitates. "I uh.... Don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why not?" you ask quizzically. "You're not my mother."

"Nor do I want to be," Sans chuckles.

"I DON'T SEE WHY THE HUMAN CANNOT MEET UNDYNE. I THINK THEY WOULD MAKE GREAT FRIENDS," Papyrus says.

"Nobody cares what you think, Papyrus."

"EXCEPT YOU, BROTHER." He pauses. "WELL I STILL THINK IT'S A FANTASTIC IDEA. THAT WAY MAYBE THE HUMAN WILL HAVE A FRIEND."

"Hey!" you pout. "I may be blind but I still have two perfectly functional ears."

Sans laughs, and you let out a half-hearted giggle of your own. "Alright, well, we should probably all be off the bed now. It's getting late and I'm beat."

"Hey wait a minute." You grab for San's arm and pull him back. "All I've been doing almost the entire time since I've gotten here has been sleeping. I want to meet Undyne." The thought of possibly making another friend in this Underground world makes you giddy. It almost makes you forget everything Chara had just forced you to endure. Almost....

"Alright alright," he sighs, defeated. "But I'm coming with you."  
…….

The trip to Undyne's is mostly silent. Sans explains it's located in a somewhat desolate area not far from Snowdin called "Waterfall," which explains the running water you heard earlier when you fought Papyrus. You can tell Sans wants to bring up your confrontation with Chara, but knows better than to do it now. You can't help but admire that about Sans. He always seems to know when it's appropriate to talk and when it's not.

"Now, there's a few things you should....be aware of when it comes to Undyne," Sans says. "She's a very feisty little lady. Pugnacious, you might even say. Just try not to say anything that might set her off."

You bite your lip. "And what usually sets her off?"

"Humans," Sans answers candidly.

"Fantastic."

"Now do you see why I-"

"YAAAAAAAAAH!" A woman's screech breaks out from nowhere. The next thing you know you're being tackled to the ground.

 


	5. You're Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're beginning to break down more and more, and it seems like Sans is the only one who can talk some sense into you. But what happens when Sans is starting to close up, as well?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of dialogue in this one, hope you don't mind. 
> 
> Feedback keeps me motivated, just sayin.

"Help! I'm being assaulted!" You muffle whilst squirming under a strong body who's got you pinned to the ground.

"Shut up, human!" The woman, you assume Undyne, barks at you.

"Woah woah woah, put the blade away Undyne," Sans orders. Woah, blade?

"Sans, what's going on? Ugh, get off of me!" You eventually manage to wiggle out from under Undyne's crushing weight and get to your feet. Once up, you brush yourself off haphazardly before scrambling to hide behind Sans.

"Sans, why are you defending it? The human must be terminated!"

"That _it_ ," Sans says," is actually a _she_ , and will you put the spear away? This is a friendly, environment, remember?" _Spear?_ What is this, Roman times?

Sans speaks again, but this time his voice seems to drop an octave lower. "Undyne. Put the spear away." 

"Fine," Undyne huffs. "But I'm only giving you 30 seconds to speak before it gets ugly. I'm not one to play friendly."

You swallow, building up your courage. "M-my name is Frisk. I came from the...well...I came from above ground. I never meant to fall down here; I only wanted to get away from my..." You pause, "Past life."

"She's blind, Undyne," Sans adds. "She's probably the farthest from dangerous you can get."

"Blind?" Undyne repeats, clearly confused. "What the hell are you on about?"

"I can't see. Honestly," you say. "Just look at my eyes." You peel open your eyes as wide as they can go, then shut them again when they start to burn. 

"I- I-" she stammers, considering this. "I suppose I believe you. But that doesn't mean I trust you!" 

You let out a relieved breath. "Thank you."

"Okay, you're off the hook human....for now." And with that, Undyne's door slams shut in your faces with a loud bang. You flinch and take a step back.

"Well that went well," Sans scoffs. "Sorry about th- hey are you alright?" You shake your head and suck in a breath.

"Do you....wanna....talk about it?"

"Let's just," you sigh, "go home." You want to tell Sans what's bothering you, you really do, but the words just won't come out, like they're lodged in the back of your throat.

"I know she may not seem like it, but Undyne is actually a really great friend. She's smart, protective, funny, and just the right bit aggressive. She just isn't used to...ya know...not killing humans. Where she came from, they're all no good. But she doesn't know there's other humans out there, like you, with a more passiveness to them. Just don't take it personally. It's nothing against you," he says reassuringly. You say nothing, just let the words sink in. 

"I should've never brought you here. I knew this was a bad idea," Sans mumbles, mostly to himself. Although you mostly agree with him, you feel a great deal of appreciation...for everything Sans has done for you. But deep down, you can't help but feel like you don't really deserve him.

Sans speaks again, breaking you out of your reverie. "You know, you shouldn't let it bother you. Being blind I mean." You can hear the distant chiming of bells clinking together, most likely from Grillby's. You must be back in Snowdin already. 

"Well it does, and that's just the way it is. Nobody ever takes me seriously now. It's like 'oh she's blind, we've gotta go easy on her,' or 'oh she's blind, she must be so helpless.' It's stupid. I'm not helpless....am I?"

"I just don't see how this is a bad thing. I mean, your lack of vision basically prevented you from having a spear shoved through your heart." You shudder at the thought. "Sorry," Sans adds warily. 

"Let's just face it Sans..." You say, waiting for him to open the door to the house. "They're right about me. I'm a nobody that can't even throw a damn dodgeball in gym class. Dodgeball for Christ's sake!"

"What does that- Hey, Frisk, what are you on about? You're not a nobody, alright? Stop saying that." You note San's frustrated tone, though it only makes you more uncertain. As you walk inside, you gladly accept the warmth of the brothers' cozy house. By now, you already have the rooms of the house memorized. You start making your way up to San's room, dragging yourself up the steps. 

"Im sorry. I just can't help it...." You say, plopping down onto San's bed. You feel the bed sink down as Sans sits next to you.

Then, he begins again. "Okay, let me get one thing straight, I'm not going to sit here and lecture you about how everything's going to be handy dandy because let's be real, when is anything ever the way you want it to be?" You furrow your brows, concentrating on his words. "What I _am_ going to tell you though is, you aren't a nobody. You're not even close to a nobody, Frisk. You have strengths and passions and ambitions just like every other damn creature, monster or human, in this world. Tell me something you're good at, Frisk. Tell me something you did well at home before all this happened." 

You blink. "Well I-I suppose I like to cook, although I don't see how that's releva-"

"See? There's something you can do. And let me tell you something else." Sans lowers his voice to nearly a whisper. "My brother is probably one of the worst cooks I've ever known. I've never told him that because I don't want him to feel bad, but it's true. He's tried cooking for the two of us for as long as I can remember, and you know what he has that you don't?" You shake your head. "Two perfectly functional eyes...well...for a skeleton. So what does that tell you? You're special, Frisk. You can do something that a whole lot of people can't do even with the advantage of perfect vision. You have passions. And when you have passions, you always find a way. Maybe you can't live exactly the way other people can. Maybe you can't throw a dodgeball without getting dunked on, but that doesn't mean you're a nobody. Who cares about throwing a dumb ball around anyways? It doesn't make you helpless. And so what if you trip and fall a few times while walking down the steps, or so on. I've tripped down those same steps plenty of times...although that probably isn't saying much coming from the laziest skeleton in town. Nobody's a nobody, Frisk, as awful as that just sounded coming out of my mouth. Don't listen to what the other humans, or even monsters, tell you. I'm a skeleton for fuck's sake. If they think you're worthless for being different, what would they think I am? If anyone ought to be judged, it's me. So I say fuck them. They're all just a bunch of dicks anyways if they think being different makes you any less special." You gape at him in awe as he finishes his long monologue. Did he really mean all that? Could he really care that much?

"Sans, why are you being so nice to me?"

You feel a hand slip into yours and squeeze lightly. "Because I know what it's like to be an outlier. And I want you to know that you're not alone."  
…….

A deafening silence pierces the air. The only thing you can hear is the humming of the wind outside the house. San's words are still swirling inside your head like a storm cloud. _'You're special, Frisk.' 'You have passions, Frisk.'_ You roll over onto your side and let your thoughts drift. Suddenly, you feel a hand brush yours for a brief second before moving away. Your cheeks heat up slightly as you realize you must have fallen asleep next to Sans after hours of talking. Wondering if he's still asleep, you extend your hand out and poke his side. He stirs slightly, but doesn't respond.

"Frisk...." Sans slurs out of nowhere. You stiffen. Did you wake him up? You feel the bed creak and rattle next to you, as if Sans is readjusting himself.

"Hmm?"

You feel a hand graze your cheek. "I wish you would see how beautiful you are."

Your face goes scarlet red at both San's words and his touch. "W-well maybe once I get my sight, I'll actually be able to see w-what I look like."

"You don't need eyes to know that you're beautiful."

You giggle, propping yourself up onto one elbow. "That was the most cliché thing I've ever heard you say."

"Really? I read it out of a book somewhere. I thought it was a pretty good line."

"So you didn't actually come up with it on your own," you frown.

"What? The words? Nah, I'm not that creative. The thought, on the other hand? Yes."  
…….

"Hey Sans?" You ask the next morning while Papyrus is making breakfast in the other room. "Do you remember what you said the other night?

"What? About Undyne?"

"No, the other stuff. After that."

"I don't know," Sans replies flatly, as if not really paying attention to what you're saying. "I say a lot of things I can't remember."

"So you don't remember _any_ of it?" You inquire.

"Nope."

His words send a slap through you, filling you with a wave of anger and disappointment. "Right. Got it." You don't even try to hide your anger.

Hands balled into fists from irritation, you grab one of San's extra hoodies that he lent you, throw it on, then stomp out the door into the cold.

The wind whips ferociously through the cool, winter air as you trek through the snow. It screams and howls on and on, almost like it's trying to imitate your inner fury. You lift your hood up and cover the frame of your hairline. Of course he doesn't remember calling you beautiful. He probably didn't even mean it. He probably only said it because he pities you. That's all anybody every does when they see you: pity you. Well you've had enough of it.

"My my, someone seems a little conflicted," a nefarious voice giggles up ahead, making your inside turn to liquid.

Flowey.

"What the hell do _you_ want?" You spit. 

"Wow. No wonder you have no friends. Nobody'll want to go near you with _that_ attitude," he sneers. You flinch at his words  and take a step back. 

"Why are you here? I don't need this." 

The flower scoffs. "Don't be so selfish. Not everything's about _you_. I'm here for Chara." 

The mention of that name sends a shiver down your spine. "Well she's not here."

"Oh, but she is. Closer than you think," Flowey cackles. "And she's gonna break you down piece by piece."  


	6. Where's Frisk?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter in which you run away and bad things happen. Maybe you should read it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, feedback is much advised. Other than that, I've got nothing.

Sans mutters a series of curse words under his breath. Seeing the look of hurt and utter defeat in those cloudy green eyes when he denied all those things he said... It felt like a stab in the heart. Truth is, he _does_ remember all the things he said to her last night. In fact, there's nothing about that night he _doesn't_ remember. Whether it's the way her shoulders sunk ever so slightly when she was thoughtful or upset. Or the way her face scrunched up in that cute way when she was trying to concentrate. Or the way her lips quivered when she was on the verge of crying or breaking down. Even the way her eyes would sometimes lose focus and wander stuck in his mind. It's the little things that really stand out about her. But no matter what Sans tries to say to her, nothing ever seems to work.

It never really bothered him before. Lying comes to Sans as smoothly as puns do, which is really saying something. He'd do it all the time, for Papyrus's sake mostly. And it's not like anyone ever knows when he's lying...but yet...something about lying to her just feels so wrong.

Frisk is a fragile one; there's no denying that. And sometimes she frustrates him in a way he can't even comprehend himself, but he knows better than to snap at her. She's been through a lot, with her mother's death and all. And part of Sans just wants to cure her blindness, so that's one less problem she has to face every day. But there's still the consequences he'd have to face.

Okay, so maybe he's got feelings for the human. So what? It's gotta pass eventually. After all, every resident of the Underground knows that any affinity or romantic relationship between a monster and human is strictly forbidden. After the war all those years ago and all... And even if monsters do end up walking on the surface again, it's not like things will ever be the same. It's just never gonna be accepted for a human and a monster to be together. So what's the point? It's not like Frisk is ever gonna forgive him anyways.

Sans eyes the door frequently, though he tries to appear casual about it. He wasn't sure how to react when Frisk left. It was kind of inevitable, after what he said and all. She clearly held on to everything he'd told her, and it all obviously meant a lot to her, but Sans knew he couldn't come on as too attached. And yet he can't help but secretly hope Frisk will have it in her heart to come back. She's never really struck him as the type to told grudges for too long, anyways.

"HAS THE HUMAN RETURNED YET?" Papyrus questions, slinking into the room. Sans looks over at him and shakes his head sadly. Papyrus seems to notice this and grinds his teeth together in that way he always does when he's unsure of what to say.

"I SUPPOSE SHE MUST REALLY HAVE A BONE TO PICK WITH YOU," Papyrus chuckles dubiously. Sans attempts to crack a smile, but finds himself failing to do so.

"'She?' So you've finally acknowledged that the human is a female now, huh?" He doesn't mean to come off as harsh, but Papyrus flinches anyways and lowers his head ruefully.

"Papyrus... I didn't mean to- You know I'm just- I-"

"I know what you mean, brother," Papyrus replies dryly, waving him off. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHERE THE HU- I MEAN, FRISK, COULD HAVE GONE?"

Sans shrugs, "That's the thing. I don't think even _she_ knows where she's going. That's what concerns me." Papyrus nods in agreement, fiddling with his cape. Sans still doesn't understand why he feels the need to wear the cape and the costume on a daily basis, but it suits him well, at the very least.

Papyrus speaks again, gaining San's attention. "YOU KNOW, I'VE NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD THIS BOND YOU HAVE WITH THE HUMAN, AND IT CAN MAKE ME FEEL KIND OF LEFT OUT AT TIMES, BUT FOR YOUR SAKE, I THINK YOU SHOULD GO AFTER HER."

"You think so?" Sans asks, slightly baffled with his brother's sudden encouragement.

"I DO." He pauses. "BUT, I THINK I SHOULD GO WITH YOU. I _AM_ , BY DEFAULT, THE BEST EYES AND EARS OF SNOWDIN, AFTER ALL."

Sans rolls his eyes, but grins. "Alright, Papyrus. You can come." Papyrus jumps off the couch and shimmies towards the door in excitement. Sans chuckles behind him and swings himself off the arm of the couch. He stuffs his hands in his usual hoodie pockets before strolling out the door, with Papyrus in the lead.  
…….

"What do you mean 'closer than you think?'" You demand the flower. You've already experienced Chara's wrath enough. You'd rather not experience it again.

"You'll find out soon enough," Flowey says before burrowing back into the earth. You should have known better than to believe Toriel had killed Flowey all that time ago back in the Ruins. You just hope he was being dramatic with his proclamation. You'd never even technically "seen" Chara per say, only heard her through whispers in your head. Well, there's also that flash of red you saw morph into an incredibly disturbing image. Recollections of that day spill into your mind, making your stomach churn.

"I've gotta go back. This is pointless," you mutter to yourself. Sans may be a huge pain in your ass sometimes, but he and Papyrus are the only friends you've got.

But where the hell do you go?

In all that time you spent chatting with Flowey, you'd completely lost track of which direction you came from and how far you had gone.

Beads of sweat start dripping down your forehead, even though you're still shivering from the cold. You begin to panic and try to recalculate your route, but to no avail.

"Cmon Frisk, think," you urge yourself, spinning around in a circle to try to remember where you had come from.

" _Frisk....."_

Okay, you must have come from this direction. There's no way you could have hiked all the way uphill.

" _Frisk...."_

Maybe if you just keep walking, you could listen for the sound of the river a-and and make your way back from Waterfall.

_"Frisk..."_

Maybe.... Maybe....

_"Frisk..."_

"JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!" you screech. You start running in a random direction, listening for the sound of...well...anything.

_"Why are you running, Frisk? You have nowhere to go..."_ You try to figure out where the voice is coming from while sprinting away, but it just sounds infinite; like it's a part of the wind.

You break out into a sprint, not really caring where you're going anymore. You can just barely hear the trickling of water, and the amount of snow covering the ground is already starting to fluctuate. Waterfall must be close by.

_"I know you can hear me, Frisk..."_ You keep running until your legs eventually give out and tangle together, causing you to trip and collide face-first with the snow.

You try to sit up, but immediately regret doing so. Sharp, fiery pains shoot up both your legs. You most likely strained your muscles from running.

Instead, you try pushing yourself up into plank position, as they call it in gym class. From there, you attempt to drag yourself through the slush by both your arms. Your arms wobble intensely from the weight, and you really just want to collapse onto the ground and lie there. But you're _so close_.

_"Let me in, Frisk. I can take the pain away."_ You squeeze your eyes shut and transfer all of your concentration and energy into your arms.

"No..... No....." you grunt, panting heavily. "Go....away."

_"Let me in...."_

Those are the last words you hear before blacking out into darkness.  
…….

No luck. No sign that she even passed through here. Nothing.

"Frisk!" Sans hollers as he trudges through the snow. "Where'd ya go?"

There's no way she could have gotten far. She hasn't even got one working eye. She must be freezing, too. People from the surface aren't used to the cold climate the same way monsters are. They've got spring, summer, and fall, after all.

"SANS, LOOK! THERE'S FOOTPRINTS HERE," Papyrus exclaims, motioning towards the ground. He's right. There are footprints here.

"They look pretty fresh too. She must be close by." Sans and Papyrus follow them, and then Sans comes to a halt.

"This isn't right... These ones are farther apart in strides than these ones," he says, examining the prints. "And look here, there's small clumps of powdery snow gathered together here like it was kicked up....from someone running." He turns to Papyrus for confirmation, who is just standing there gaping at him.

"What?" Papyrus just shakes his head at him and continues staring. Sans returns his attention back to the snow. "But why was she running? Who could she have been- oh no..."

"WHAT IS IT?" Sans doesn't answer him. He hurriedly follows the footprints all the way down the hill. This leads right to the divider between Snowdin and Waterfall; she must have been looking for Waterfall to get to Snowdin. Smart girl.

"Woah woah woah, hold on." Sans grabs Papyrus' arm and points at a flattened dip in the snow in the shape of a body. There is a trail much like it that extends out...then stops. But why would Frisk be dragging her body through the snow? Was she injured somehow? There's no blood here that could say for certain. But then where did she go?

"Hello Sans, Papyrus," a voice abruptly speaks. The two brothers spin around to find Frisk grinning innocently at them.

"LOOK SANS. THE HUMAN HAS RETURNED TO US," Papyrus says, smiling. Sans squints his eyes in suspicion. He knows he should be relieved too, but something is off. There's something sinister about that smile. Something familiar. Something that isn't really coming from Frisk...

"Actually," she says, her eyes flickering. "You can call me Chara."

 


	7. Not Your Body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter in which a certain Chara possesses a certain you and the results aren't so pretty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this story plot is interesting enough for you guys. 
> 
> (This chapter was especially fun to write)
> 
> Note: I had to go back and make a few changes because I forgot that Frisk was supposed to be blind for a paragraph or two but everything should be fixed now.

"I knew something wasn't right," Sans growls. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Chara giggles. "Oh she's in here alright. I simply just needed to weaken her enough, physically and mentally, until her body was open to possession. And now," Chara cracks her neck in satisfaction and peers up at the two. "I can do as I please."

Sans glares daggers at her, clenching his fists at his sides. "Let her go Chara. I'm not gonna ask you twice."

"Is that a threat?" she sneers. Frisk's eyes start to drain of its usual lush green color, revealing blazing red eyes in its place. "Because I don't do well with threats."

"Uh-um Sans," Papyrus whispers shakily. "I-I think we should be leaving now." Normally when Papyrus was scared, Sans would be at his brother's side in a jiffy, but this isn't Papyrus' fight, and there's no way Sans is letting Chara roam around in Frisk's body.

Chara is practically the epitome of evil. She can fiddle with the concept of time and space just as easily as Sans can, maybe even more easily, but she's just the opposite of a Good Samaritan. Sans isn't particularly certain what Chara's true intention is; he isn't even entirely sure what she wants with Frisk. But deep down, Sans can't help but notice the familiarly of this whole situation.... Like this isn't the first time Frisk and Chara have met. Not in this timeline, at least.

"You heard the skeleton," Chara begins again. "Leave. There's nothing you can do to save your _friend_ anyways." Something about the way Chara emphasizes 'friend' startles Sans and snaps him back to reality. Feelings or no feelings, Frisk is still his friend and he can't just abandon her.

"I said,"—San's left eye flares like a blinking light bulb—"Let. Her. Go." Papyrus continues to coward behind him, bones rattling and teeth chattering with fear. It reminds Sans of everything he's been through to protect his brother. And that's not about to stop now.

Chara's sadistic grin widens. Her hand snakes behind her towards her back pocket. San's notices a glimmer of medal poking out. A knife, most likely. "And what if I don't?" she challenges.

The usual white pupils in Sans' eyes fade to a scorching black. "Y o u ' r e  g o n n a  h a v e  a  r e a l  b a d  t i m e."

Everything just feels like a blur after that.

A flash of electric blue penetrates the air like a bright beam of light. Sans aims all of his energy at Chara and attempts to pin her against the ground with his magic, but Chara is prepared. She swiftly leaps into the air and dodges the attack effortlessly. With one quick motion, she draws the dagger out of her pocket by the blade mid jump and lands gracefully on her feet. It's like watching someone in slow motion. She flashes him a cunning smirk. Chara's pupils are now tiny slits of black surrounded by blood red irises, hateful passion swirling around inside them. Sans squints at her. 

"You can't save her. I hope you know that," Chara says with a snarl. She twirls her knife in her fingers with an apathetic expression plastered on her face and raises an eyebrow. This only aggravates Sans further. With a flick of his hand, he has Chara flying through the air and slamming into the snow.

Chara grunts from the impact and gropes for her knife. She sits up and shoots Sans a loathsome scowl, but Sans only tilts his head at her warily. As he waits for his power to recharge, Chara uses this moment to her advantage and grips her knife tightly in her hand before pulling it back and flinging it right at Sans's chest. The point of the blade gleams with silver as it spins towards him at a rapid manner. Sans quickly skitters out of the way with Papyrus still on his tail. The knife reappears next to Chara.

"Papyrus," Sans hisses, never taking his eyes off Chara, who's currently crouched down on the ground. "Go. Get out of here."

"I mustn't," Papyrus refuses, though Sans can easily hear the quiver in his voice. "I will not leave your side, brother." Sans knows better than to argue any further with Papyrus. Still, part of him wishes that just this once, he could actually get through to him.

"WOAH, SANS, WATCH OUT!" Sans blinks in confusion, only to notice Chara hurtling towards him at the corner of his eye Just before she slashes him with her dagger, Sans leaps to the side, blocking her attacks. Chara staggers backwards in shock and narrows her eyes at him. Sans shrugs.

"Don't be so cocky, skeleton, this isn't over yet." She lashes at him again more aggressively, but Sans dodges carelessly and ends up getting nicked in the arm by the blade. He hisses in pain and grabs at his wounded arm, which is now partly chipped. For a brief moment, Sans could have sworn Chara flinched, although it looked more like a twitch or a spasm.

"You bitch." With pure rage boiling in his system, Sans sends a bombard of electrically charged bones directly at Chara. Chara ducks down and avoids most of the cluster, although one of them scrapes again her shoulder, burning the skin off of it.

Chara screams in pain and cusses shamelessly. In a flash, Sans is on top of her with his hands clamped around her neck in a dangerously tight grip. Chara thrashes around under his hold on the ground and claws violently at his hands.

"SANS, STOP! THAT'S STILL FRISK'S BODY. SHE'S STILL IN THERE." Sans doesn't listen at first. He continues strangling Chara until her face starts to drain of its color.

"SANS!" Papyrus pleads frantically, rushing up behind him. Sans stops, turns towards Papyrus's shaking figure, then turns back to the motionless lump in the snow below him. She looks...different. Fragile and quite powerless Sans might even say. Her face is as white as a sheet from lack of circulation, and her eyes are....green?

"Frisk?" he whispers softly. She stirs, but doesn't seem to hear him. At least she's still alive, thankfully. Sans carefully removes his hands from her neck and stares guiltily at the bruises that are starting to form.

"CHARA MUST HAVE LEFT HER BODY AS SOON AS YOU RESTRAINED HER," Papyrus guesses, bending down beside you.

"Yeah.... She must have."

"DO YOU THINK SHE'S GONNA BE-"

"She's _got_ to be okay, Papyrus. This is my fault, after all. I can't be responsible for her death." Part of that statement is true, although deep down, Sans knows that's not the only reason why he hopes the damage he inflicted wasn't too fatal.

Papyrus looks at him with sad eyes and sighs. "We should take her back."

"Yeah.... Let's go." Sans leans down and scoops up Frisk's frail body in his arms bridal style. Making sure he doesn't injure her further, Sans keeps his hands a fair distance away from Frisk's bloody shoulder as they solemnly make their way back home.

…….

Rage, that's all that flooded through your system throughout the entirety of that fight. Though, it wasn't yours. It was _hers._

After you had so conviently tripped and face planted into the snow, it was all kind of disorienting after that. You were trying to get to Waterfall while escaping Chara at the same time, you know this for a fact. But you found yourself struggling to even breathe most of the time, like you were hanging on by just a flimsy string, until suddenly, everything went black. Then, the next thing you know, you're trapped...inside _your own_ body. 

You were a puppet, and Chara was the strings. She had you do things you would have never had the heart to do. She tried to hurt Sans, hell, she _did_ hurt him. She was as brutal and as heartless as...well...nothing you could ever imagine. But it was like you were paralyzed. Your legs and arms were moving, but you weren't the one in control. And the worst part was, you could see the whole thing...well...in a way. And you could _feel_ the pain, _feel_ the adrenaline, _feel_ the anger as if they were your own raw emotions.

You'd never heard Sans so hateful before. He was always so laidback and somewhat self-righteous even in his motives, but never has he lashed out like he did back there. It was almost too horrifying to experience. That deep jagged voice, swimming with revulsion... It practically felt like _you_ were the one he was directing his hatred towards, even though you know it wasn't.

Then, before you knew it, you were back in control of your body. But that was after you passed out with Sans and Papyrus hovering over your body. 

…….

"Hey, Papyrus, I think she's waking up." Upon consciousness, you're immediately met by a blistering pain in your right shoulder, although you're too stiff to move.

"Hey guys," you mumble, your voice raspy from dryness. 

"Heya Frisk. Welcome back," Sans says, relief in his tone. 

 


	8. Recollections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up back at the skeleton brothers' house and Papyrus heals you. Then Sans interjects with a question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are being so nice to me. I feel so special c:
> 
> (Just so you know, this chapter is not very eventful compared to the last one. But it's leading up to something very eventful, so I hope you still read it anyways.)

You go to sit up on the couch, but Sans quickly stops you. "Just relax for a bit, alright? Papyrus still needs to heal you, anyways."

"I....yeah. That's right," you mumble, still dazed from being unconscious. "Heal me..." You lay back down and let your arms rest motionlessly at your sides as your mind wonders.

  
"Look...Frisk...I-"

  
You cut him off. "You don't have to say anything, Sans. I know you weren't trying to intentionally hurt me." You give him a reassuring smile.  It wasn't Sans' fault that Chara had invaded your body and was using it as a vessel. Man... and to think you never even believed possession was possible back before this all happened. 

"No, no, Frisk. You don't understand. I let my rage get the best of me." Sans gently grabs your hands and holds them in his. "I should have focused on protecting you, but instead, all my focus was strictly on my hatred towards Chara and it just got so out of hand. I was almost afraid I wouldn't be able to stop." Sans exhales deeply. "But then I thought of you. And I thought of how fragile and emotionally damaged you were after everything you were put through these past few days, and that's what stopped me. I just couldn't bear the thought of me, or anyone for that matter, laying hands on you in a harmful way. But I did...and I'm sorry." You let a tear fall from your eye at Sans' heartfelt words, but don't say anything.

  
"Frisk I...I...." He hesitates. "I just...care about you a lot. And I want you to know that."

You reach up and caress his cheek with the back of your hand, though you aren't sure what made you do it. "I do know that, Sans." For a split second you swear the words _'no you don't_ ' just left his mouth, but it was too quiet to know for sure. 

Then, before you can react, you're enveloped in a hug. You're too shocked to react at first, and your body is still too tense to function properly. The gesture both frightens you and excites you at the same time. Mostly the latter, though. You have't been hugged in, well, ages, but yet it made you feel so secure and at ease when you did get hugged.  

When Sans realizes that you aren't hugging back, he pulls away, seemingly disappointed. "Sorry," he mumbles through clenched teeth. You shake your head and pull him back into another embrace, which this time, you initiate. Sans happily obliges by wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into his chest. You tuck your face in the crook of his neck and snuggle into his warm jacket.

You don't want to let go.

You stay like that for minutes until someone clears their throat behind you, awkwardly. You and Sans quickly break away and uncomfortably sit next to each other like nothing happened. "I BELIEVE I NEED TO HEAL YOU NOW, HUMAN."

"Raining on my parade again, Papyrus," Sans jokes, causing you to giggle.

"THIS IS SNOWDIN, SANS. IT DOESN'T EVER _RAIN_ HERE," Papyrus snaps sardonically. 

"Alright alright." His voice softens. "Now just sit still and try to relax, Frisk." You nod and shift slightly in your before getting comfortable. You clasp your hands, which are soaked in sweat, together and squeeze your eyes shut in anticipation. On cue, an overwhelming surge of power enters through your body, and faint tingles begin crawling up your torso and all the way up to your neck like sparks of electricity. You go to touch the burnt flesh on your shoulder, but immediately stop yourself when an unpleasant jolt shoots up your arm. You wait for the stinging sensation to dwindle before letting out a breath of relief. It's unbelievable how quickly the pain fades when magic is involved. You wonder how common magic is in the Underground. 

"Am I... healed yet?" you ask hopefully. 

"Yes," Sans replies while lightly tracing a circular pattern on your shoulder with the tip of his finger. You shiver. 

"What about you? Didn't you get injured too?" Your question is directed at Sans. 

"How... how do you know that?" Sans inquires, clearly baffled. 

You purse your lips. "I was awake the whole time. I may not have been able to see anything but I could still hear and feel just fine."

"DO YOU REMEMBER ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BEFORE CHARA TOOK CONTROL OF YOUR BODY?" Papyrus asks. You almost completely forgot he was even here, which surprises you, considering he's the one who healed you. 

"I remember trying to get back to Snowdin by finding Watefall, which you might have guessed. But then..." You gulp. "I ran into Flowey... and he said-"

"FLOWEY? I DON'T RECALL EVER MEETING A FLOWEY," Papyrus interjects.

"Oh, well, he um... he said that Chara was 'closer than I think.' I figured he was just trying to scare me off but... then she came. Well, she wasn't really _there_ per say. It was more like she was in my head. It was mostly just faint whispering, but it felt like shouting. I tried to run; I know it seems pointless, but my common sense was not at its highest at that point. I just wanted her to leave me alone, honestly. So I ran, but she just kept on whispering. She'd say 'let me in, Frisk' over and over again. Of course, I didn't know what she meant at the time, though. And then I... fell. I must have twisted something in my leg because I couldn't get up without it hurting. So I did what any logical person would do in this type of catastrophic predicament: I dragged my body through the snow. It was a horrible plan, I know, but I was desperate at that point. So I hauled myself through he snow as best I could, with nothing but a hoodie and jeans might I mention, but my strength was slowly detoriorating. I was just so weak...and defenseless...and I knew I probably wasn't going to make it, but I knew I had to try. Then I blacked out...with her sadistic laugh still ringing in my ears."

"And that's it?" Sans asks. You can imagine the brothers with looks of horror etched onto both their faces. 

"That's it."

"Wow," Sans whistles. "That's rough." 

"No kidding." 

You all just sit there in silence and listen to the murmurs of the monsters walking by outside before Sans speaks again. "Hey Frisk, do you mind if I talk to you...in private?" The question catches you off guard. In private? What does he want to say? He's not going to ask you to leave is he? No no... Sans wouldn't do that. He cares about you. So what then?

"Sure," you reply hesitantly. 

"AND WHAT ABOUT ME?" 

"This won't take too long, Papyrus. I just need to talk to her." 

"OKAY. I SUPPOSE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL LEAVE YOU TO IT." After Papyrus has left, you follow Sans to his room and await whatever it is he wants to discuss. 

"Frisk... I think it's time I give you your sight." 


	9. Just One Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to get a little heated with you and Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope this story is still interesting, like I mentioned before. I know it's progressing slowly, but... I really am proud of this piece.

"W-wait w-what? Are you saying your power is fully recharged already? But I thought you used it all when you were in combat with Chara?" you ask incredulously. 

"Not quite."

"But I thought you needed 'all of your magic to do something that permanent,'" you point out, quoting his words. 

"Not quite." 

You huff. "Is there anything you _can't_ do?"

"Do work, cook, keep a clean room, sing-" 

"Okay okay," you say, waving him off. 

"Do you want to see or not?" Sans asks. You immediately spring up from your seat on the bed and go to touch his arm. 

"I do, Sans, I do...I just...." You drop your hands and flop back down on the bed, struggling to gather your thoughts. 

"What's wrong?" You jump slightly at Sans' closeness. You didn't realize he had sat down right next to you, although you doubt it was intentional. You feel the heat rising to your cheeks and play with the strings of your hoodie, trying to recall what you were going to say. Except it's impossible to think clearly with Sans practically pressed up against you. 

"Wait, hold on a second. Are you...blushing?" Sans asks, amusement and disbelief laced in his voice. 

"N-no!" you squeak, shaking your head frantically. Real smooth, Frisk.

"Then why is your face more red than it was before? Don't tell me you've got the flu," Sans teases. You bite your lip and scooch to the far side of the bed to try and distance yourself, but Sans only scoots closer. You feel his hot breath fan against your ear, making you squirm. Sans chuckles.

"Why so nervous?"

"Y-you're just...sitting too close, is all." You try to make your response calm and casual, but instead it comes out panicky and irregular.

"I thought I told you I can see right through you," Sans whispers huskily. By now, your breathing has gone sharp and erratic from the tension. Your mouth has also gone dry from a lack of moisture and the contents of your stomach have turned to mush. You wet your lips, although you aren't sure what to say. What _can_ you say?

"I- I don't- I-" you stutter, but Sans hushes you. 

"Frisk...." The way your name rolls so smoothly off his tongue makes you shudder. It reminds you of the first time he said your name; when he called it cute. "You never told me what's wrong." His comment feels like a slap in the face. 

"Wait what?" What in the hell even just happened? Did you just imagine the whole thing? There's no way... 

Sans leans back casually. "Why do you seem so reluctant to do this? Don't you want to be able to see?"

You feel a strong urge to shout at him for playing with you like that, but you know that's not going to do you any good. "Because it's been who I am for years. I'm just afraid changing a part of my body, a part of my _lifestyle,_ might change me too.

"Hey, don't worry bud, you'll always be my clumsy little pain in my ass," Sans cooes, patting your head. 

You swat his hand away. "Ha ha. And please don't ever pat me on the head again."

"Why not?"

"Cause it's creepy. Now back to that thing we were talking about before... What if it doesn't work? What if something goes wrong?" 

"Well you're already blind, so I don't think it could get much worse than that," Sans shrugs. 

You roll your eyes. "I mean in other parts of my body." 

"Like...?" 

"Like my brain? Or my heart? I don't want to do this without being sure, Sans." 

"Look," Sans says, "I can start with very minimal magic at first if that's what you want. And if you feel like something is wrong or something feels abnormal, just tell me. But I think this could be a good change for you, Frisk. I understand you're scared, and honestly, I don't blame you, but if you ask me, I think you should do it. And that's not just because you'll be able to see me." 

You ignore his last comment and consider his words. You smile. "Yeah. You're probably right." 

"Just probably?" Sans scoffs. You smack him on the arm. 

"Kidding, kidding." 

"So um... When can we um... I..." 

"Hey, wait," Sans cuts in. "I was thinking... Before we do that, do you wanna come to Grillby's with me?" 

Your heart skips a beat. "Like...like a date?"

Sans laughs. "I guess if you consider eating burgers in pants and a hoodie with a skeleton a date...than yeah, sure. I suppose it is."

"I don't know Sans I-" 

"C'mon Frisk, it's just one date."

"Oh....well I suppose it wouldn't hurt any." You try to sound nonchalant. 

"Wow Frisk, that desperate for my attention huh? Well, I suppose I can't blame you." 

"You're such a dork," you laugh, shoving him playfully. "And plus, you're the one who asked. If anything, _you're_ the desperate one."

Sans chuckles. "Well, we better get going."

"But what about Papyrus?" you ask. 

"He can fend for himself. Now let's go." Sans zips up whatever jacket he has on and grabs your hand before leading you out the door. 


	10. Glad You're Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Sans make a trip at Grillby's for your date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates. I needed a short break to think about what my next few chapters might look like, and I was also experiencing some writer's block.

As Sans leads you into Grillby's, you're immediately met with the delectable smell of barbecue and grilled steak. Although you may not be able to see the interior of the restaurant—or the exterior for that matter—the smell compensates for your lack of visuals.

A few murmurs break out upon your entry, but most of the monsters don't mind your presence. They must have seen you around Snowdin before, you assume. 

You follow Sans to the front of the restaurant and hops onto one of the stools while Sans takes a seat adjacent to you. You fold your hands nervously on your lap and glance questioningly in Sans' direction. 

"So," Sans says, "Whatcha in the mood for?" 

You bite your lip. You can't exactly look at a menu. "What are _you_  getting?" 

"Bacon cheeseburger, of course," Sans replies almost instantly. 

"I suppose I'll get the same," you smile coyly.

"Good choice." After Sans mutters an order to Grillby, Grillby whisks by into the kitchen area with spurts of fire crackling in his path. You hear plates clattering against one another and running water coming from the back room.

You turn your body towards Sans, unsure of what to say.

"Why did you-"

"I just want you to-" you both blurt at the same time. 

"Sorry." 

"You first," Sans says. 

"I was just wondering...why did you ask me to come here with you? It's a dumb question, I know, but I just can't understand why you like spending this much time with me." You twirl a lock of your hair around absentmindedly with your finger as you speak. 

"You're fun to be around," Sans says. "And there's still so much more about you that I don't know about...that I want to know about." You blush and attempt to shy away from his gaze. 

"You say there's still so much more about me you don't know, but what about you?"

"What about me?"

"I barely know anything about you." Really, the only thing you know about Sans is...well...he's a skeleton with magic and supposedly the power of teleportation.  

"You know enough," he says. "Like that I'm a very attractive species of monster with puns stored for any given situation."

"Do you have a pun for right now?" you smirk.

"Bone-Appetit?" Sans replies cockily. Just then, as if on cue, you hear the sound of a door swing open and the next thing you know your food is being set in front of you. 

"How did you do that?" you question.

"Dunno. Hey, are you planning on using that?" Sans asks.

"You better not be mocking me, Sans," you scoff. 

"The ketchup. I was talking about the ketchup. Are you planning on using it?" 

You sigh and feel for the ketchup bottle before sliding it over towards Sans. 

"Thanks." He squirts the ketchup for a ridiculously long time before tossing it back at you. You pick it up and raise an eyebrow at the lightness of it. 

"Did you... Did you use this  _whole thing?"_ you ask disbelievingly. 

"Yup," Sans utters through a mouth-full of fries. 

" _Why?_ "

"Why not?"

You snort and wave him off dissmisively. You pick up your burger and nibble on the end of it. The food here is amazing, but for some reason you just arent feeling up to it. 

"So what were you going to say earlier?" you ask. "Before I cut in, that is." 

"I was just going to say..." Sans exhales. You feel a firm hand gently cover yours. "I'm glad I ran into you all those days ago back in the forest." Your cheeks warm up and you wait for him to continue, but he says nothing else. 

"Well I'm glad too," you whisper, still flustered. 

"Hey, you barely touched your burger. Is something on your mind?" Sans asks. _Just you._ You don't know why, but Sans facinates you in more ways than one. You just can't seem to place him.

"Nah. I'm just not that hungry," you lie. 

"Do you mean you don't have... _the stomach_ for it," Sans snickers blatantly, clearly not fazed by your lie. 

"I constantly wonder how much more of this I can take," you laugh. 

"Alright alright. You ready to go then?"

You nod. "Wait, you finished that whole burger already?" 

"Yeah...what's wrong with that?" 

"Nothing, let's just go." You hop off your seat. 

"Keep the change," Sans says—you suspect to the owner—before getting off his own seat and slipping his hand back into yours. You smile at the familiar feeling and stroll out of the restaurant. You are immediately met by a blast of wind that whips through eyour hair as you walk outside.

It feels like you've been walking much longer than usual, which is strange considering Grillby's and Sans' house are only a couple yards apart at most. You decide not to say anything, though, and eventually you and Sans stop. The atmosphere is much less cold here. It's almost damp, like walking outdoors after it rained. You must be in Waterfall. 

"Where are we going Sans? Why aren't we going back?" you ask. 

"Frisk, we've gotta do this now. No more bullshitting around. I'm going to give you your eyesight." 

"But why couldn't we have just done it back at home? Why here? Where even are we?" 

"I guess you'll just have to find out." 

Your breath quickens as Sans reaches out and tucks a lock of hair behind your ear. He squeezes your hand assuringly. "Are you sure you're ready for this, Frisk?"  

"Yeah..." you breathe. "What do you want me to do?" 

"Nothing really. Just close your eyes, and if it hurts, tell me, and I'll stop." You nod your head and let go of Sans' hand. 

"Okay. Are you ready?" You nod and shut your eyes. It takes a moment for the energy to enter through you, through small ripples of magic. A faint humming sound fills your ears; you assume it's coming from the source of Sans' power. 

It feels almost like you're floating. Your body itself feels weightless, but your eyelids feel heavy. You take this moment to think back to everything your mother would say to try to describe color to you when you asked. She said there's way too many colors out there to describe them all, so she only really told you about the most common ones. She refers to them as primary and secondary. You've got red, which was your mother's favorite: the color of heat, passion, anger...love. She said it's like sticking your hand into a pot of boiling water, which always made your skin prickle with apprehension. She also said it's the color of blood. Then there's blue, which represents calmness and tranquility; the color of water. The way you think of it, it seems like the opposite of red in your mind. You wonder if the colors themselves look as different as they sound.

There's also green, the color of growth and vegetation; purple, the color of royalty and magic, and white, the color of innocence and purity. And all of these different shades and hues make up the foundation of our world. The concept is just way too overwhelming for you to grasp. 

"Frisk?" Sans' distant voice drifts into your conscience, bringing you back to reality. 

"Yeah?" 

"You can open your eyes now." 


	11. New Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You start to unravel the truth about the Underground. 
> 
> Oh yeah, and you aren't blind anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that this is a fanfiction, meaning that details from the original game might be tweaked, so don't be too shocked if some things are different. 
> 
> With this in mind, also note that most of the characters are distinctly the same, but their situations are slightly different.

"Are you sure?" you ask softly. You've been wanting this your entire life...and now that the moment's finally here, you're almost too terrified to open your eyes. 

"Yes." You take a deep breath, and your eyelids carefully flutter open.

Everything is just bright at first, like someone is shining a light directly in your eye. You squint your eyes and give them a couple seconds to adjust. 

Your eyes are still clouded over as the magic makes its final adjustments. Flakes of color swirl around your eyes in clusters. As you take in your surroundings, your heart leaps. 

It's not as bright and colorful as you were anticipating, giving you the impression that it must be nighttime. This only makes the view more breathtaking. 

A vast building, a castle by the looks of it, towers magnificently above the glistening waters just beyond your peripheral vision. It appears to be almost levitating in the air by its lonesome. It casts an ominous shadow that reflects off of the waters below. 

The river wades calmly in small, peaceful strokes. You can just barely hear the water splashing against the grass if you strain your ears. The bright, dazzling glow of the shimmering lights above you shine down on it, giving the water an almost luminescent, aquamarine appearance. You wonder if those twinkling blobs of light hovering in the sky are what stars look like. If so, they sure are beautiful. 

Next, you look at the ground around you and notice small, obscurely shaped plants, that almost look like they resemble thick umbrellas, scattered about the grassy terrain. The fungi, you believe they're called mushrooms, have the same pigmented hue of blue radiating off of them as the stars do...like vibrant bulbs of illumination.

The mushrooms sway softly in synchronization as a gust of wind flutters by; their lights move with them.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Sans sighs admiringly.

"Yeah," you breathe, turning towards him. Your eyes widen suddenly as you realize that this is the first time you're actually seeing Sans. 

Your eyes scan over him. He's a lot shorter than you expected, though not as short as you. His face is rounded along the edges, and his cheekbones protrude out of his face slightly. He has two big, prominent eyes that are completely pitch black except for two pinpricks of white in the center of his eyes that are currently fixtated on your face. 

He wears a blue jacket with a fluffy hood, and his hands are currently jammed in his pockets, as usual. You find it slightly amusing that Sans also happens to be wearing slippers on his feet. 

Your eyes trail back up to Sans' face. He's studying you with an unreadable expression, though you can clearly see the corners of his mouth start to twitch into a smile.

"Sans... Thank you." 

The next thing you know, you're kissing him. Your arms are flung around Sans' neck and your lips are pressed firmly against his mouth. It's a little difficult since he has no lips, but the minute you pull away, Sans' entire face is shaded with blue. 

You smile shyly and stare down at the ground. "Sorry." You peer at him from under your eyelashes.

"No...it's okay," Sans says, although his face is clearly still tinted with blue. "So how's it feel? 

"It feels great," you reply, lifting your eyes back up to meet Sans'. He's still gaping at you with astonishment.

"So, what do ya think of me?"

"Cocky, immature, kind of a dick sometimes-" 

"You know what I mean," Sans laughs.

"Mmm..." you hum. "Well, you're certainly shorter than what I had in mind." 

Sans rolls his eyes. "You're shorter than me." 

"Well that's not saying much." You look back over at the castle and nod your head. "Who lives there, anyways?"

Sans follows your gaze. "Asgore. He's the ruler of the Underground." 

"Oh," you say. "What does he do?"

Sans looks at you blankly. "He rules." 

You roll your eyes. "You know what I mean." 

Sans glances over at the castle, then back at you. His expression wavers. "He wants...souls."

"Souls?" You remember when Flowey had mentioned your soul back in the Ruins. _The culmination of your being._ "Why?" 

Sans' eyes avert away from you and flicker towards the ceiling, which still sparkles with stars. "There's this barrier...It's what's been keeping us monsters trapped underground, and the only way to break the barrier...is to gather the souls of 7 humans." Sans takes a breath. "And I think he wants yours." 

You bite your lip and shift your weight awkwardly onto one of your legs. "Because I'm the last human to fall down here..." you murmur, partly to yourself.

"Yeah." 

You turn away so your back is towards him. "Does he... Does he know I'm here?"

Sans mumbles a reply from behind you. "And do you remember Undyne? The one that tried to stab you with her spear?" 

"Well that was unnecessarily frank, but yes. What about her?" 

"She was hired by Asgore himself to capture--and kill--humans for their souls." You bite your lip and listen fearfully. "But that's not all."

"What? What is it, Sans?" You turn back around to look at him, but Sans is just staring at his feet and shuffling them on the ground. The usual creases under his eyes have gone and his eyes hold a melancholy appearance to them. 

"Papyrus and I were hired too."


	12. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans finally confesses the one thing that's been holding him back all this time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The feels am I right? ;_;

* * *

"Y-you what?" you question uneasily, taking a step backwards.

"Frisk, I'm sorry. You know I don't want to hurt you." Sans' eyes beg for your trust, but you just shake your head unwillingly.

"Do I?" you ask. "You lied to me, Sans. You said you cared about me." 

"I wasn't lying. Please, Frisk," Sans pleads. "Just trust me."

"How can I? You were planning on killing me." You force down a sob. "Who says you still aren't right now?"

"You know I wouldn't do that. I couldn't do that." Sans' voice is barely audible; it's almost heartwrenching to hear. 

You eventually manage to tear your eyes away from Sans' and start walking in the direction of, well, you don't know yet. Where _can_ you go? Can you trust anyone in this town anymore? 

"Frisk..." Sans wheezes. His voice is raspy and broken, and you can tell he's trying choke back tears. You drag your feet against the grass and keep walking with your head hung low. The illuminating mushrooms that you noticed before seem to wilt as you pass by them, their glows dimming ever so faintly like burned out lightbulbs. 

"Frisk please just listen to me. I-"

"You what, Sans?" you demand, whirling around to face him. "You were obviously ordered to kill me, so what's stopping you?" 

"Because I lo-" Sans' jaw clenches tightly. "Because you're my friend. And I can't hurt a friend."

"No...no. There's something else," you say undoubtedly. "What's the real reason why you haven't killed me yet?" You know Sans. You've heard the way he's talked about the surface. You've seen the clear longing in his expressions... There's just no way he'd throw away the chances of going back like this.

Something sparks in Sans' eyes: something that you can't depict. His white pupils scan your face, and he seems to zone out for a moment before replying.

"There's nothing else to say. You're my friend and I wouldn't ever harm you." 

"Don't lie to me, Sans." 

"I'm not lying," Sans snaps defensively. 

"Yes you are. Just tell me." 

Sans folds his arms. "No."

"Sans...." 

"Frisk...." Sans mimicks. 

You groan in exasperation at Sans' obvious facade. "Stop being so childish. Just say it. What's been on your mind? What's been bugging you? I'm not going to stop until you tell me." 

He squints. "What the hell do you want me to say? Why don't you just walk away like you were about to do in the first place?" His words cut you deep, but you try to brush them aside. 

" _Please_ ," you gasp. "Say it."  

There's something fiery in Sans' eyes that you never noticed before. But whether it's fury, irritation, or something entirely different...you can't really tell. "I can't-"

"Why won't you just-"

"It's not what-"

"But I need to-" 

"This isn't about-" You cut each other off back and forth through short, ragged breaths. You're starting to grow weary of trying to pry answers out of him, and you know he must be tired too, but there's something he's holding back. He's holding something back that he's been keeping hidden, and it's preventing him from telling you the whole truth. You've noticed this about him ever since that talk you had with him after visiting Undyne. 

You take a deep breath and step towards him. Sans doesn't make any effort to move away, just tenses up slightly. You reach out and touch your fingers to his arm. Your gaze trail up towards his face and you lock eyes immediately. 

"Sans..." 

"Just drop it, Frisk," Sans drawls coldly. The harshness of his voice pierces the air, causing your heart to sink. 

"But-" 

"Dont." You tighten your lips together and hang your head in shame. 

Sans breaks the heavy silence by speaking again. "Do you _really_ want to know how I feel?" You slowly tilt your head up to look at him, awaiting his answer.

"Iloveyou." Sans mumbles the words so quickly and breathlessly that you can't quite latch onto them, but your stomach flutters anyways at what you're almost positive you heard.

"You what? Look, Sans, I-" 

"I love you." This time the words are more clear and articulate, but the affect they have on you is much more impactive. Your heart beat is so loud you can feel it pounding against your chest and thumping feverishly in your ears. 

"You...you..." You stare at him in astonishment. 

"I love you." The way Sans says it is more of a question than a statement, but the certainty is still there. Your eyes glaze over with wet, salty tears and you have to avert your gaze briefly to blink them away. By the time you look back at him, Sans is already a couple feet away from where he was before with his back facing you. One of his trembling hands is extended out in front of him, holding what looks like a blazing cobalt orb in the center of his palm. Your eyes are transfixed on the noticeably glowing blue aura that's currently encircling him; he appears to be muttering something incoherent under his breath. 

It takes you a moment to realize what he's doing, so when you do realize, you immediately bolt after him. "Sans, please!" you shout. "Don't teleport!" 

Sans stiffens, but doesn't reply. You notice his body start to flicker from solid to transparent; you can tell that he's having problems teleporting. 

You go to latch onto San's arm, but find yourself swiping nothing but thin air. Sans' holographic figure lingers there briefly. He gives you one last rueful stare before disappearing in a cloud of blue. 

"Please..." you sob, dropping onto the ground. "Don't leave me here alone..." 

* * *

The journey back home is long and tedious. You often find yourself picking a random direction and hoping for the best. You discover something called an "echo flower," which kind of speaks for itself. And although your previous conversation with Sans was a painful one, it doesn't take too much away from the enjoyment you get out of meeting all the monsters. 

One of the monsters you meet along the way sells ice cream from a cart known as "Nice Cream." You buy one with some of the gold Sans lent to you, and are happy to see that it certainly helped give you some of your energy back. 

Another friendly but rather strange creature you meet along the way, known as Monster Kid, agrees to lead you back to Snowdin only if you tell them what Undyne is like. In a rather short amount of time, you find yourself growing rather fond of the excitable kid, although you aren't nearly as fond of the mention of Undyne, the woman who wants your soul. 

By the time you arrive back at Snowdin, your legs are tired, and your eyelids are heavy from exhaustion. You debate whether you should try going back to the brothers' house or not, and finally decide to just stay at the town's Inn for the time being. 

You're welcomed by an amiable-looking rabbit who supplies you with a room key. After trudging yourself up the stairs, you make your way down the hall and head inside your room, only to be met by a familiar skeleton who is currently sitting on the edge of your bed. 


	13. Into the Hotlands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally meet Dr. Alphys. Yay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know that the chase with the spears doesn't actually occur in the Hotlands, but I figured it would add to the suspense.

* * *

"Papyrus?" you ask in surprise. "What are you doing here?" 

Papyrus glances up from his lap and looks at you guiltily while you stand tiredly in the doorway. "I'm sorry," he mumbles quietly.

"For wha-" Before you can finish your sentence, someone grabs you from behind and yanks you backwards before crashing a large object over your head, thus knocking you out.

* * *

 You wake up with a pulsing migraine that cascades through your entire body. As soon as you open your eyes, tiny stars dance around you, obstructing your vision. 

Your arm twitches slightly from underneath you, and you notice that the ground feels unusually warm.

You try to sit up, but someone orders you not to move. A woman. 

"Undyne?" you cough, blinking the stars away. A fish-like creature with long, firey hair and a black eyepatch hovers over you. Her mouth is twisted into a ferocious scowl. 

"I said... _don't. move,"_ she growls. 

Just then, the ground starts to quake around you. In a spot directly besides you, the earth suddenly gives way and crumbles. A glowing blue spear-like object burrows it's way out from the crevice and whisks past you. 

You shriek and roll to the side before stumbling to your feet. You quickly dodge to the side as another spear protrudes out of the ground, along with another. 

There's a wooden bridge up ahead, which you dash towards. As you glance to either side of you, you notice large, smoldering pits of lava down below you.

 _What the hell?_ You think to yourself as you struggle to run across the wobbly bridge. _Weren't you just in Snowdin not so long ago? Why is there_ lava _here?_

One of Sans' vender carts sits on the other side, empty of course. An overwhelming sensation of guilt settles at the bottom of your stomach at your sudden remembrance of Sans.  _Is he really that keen on avoiding you?_

"Come back here, puny human!" Undyne yells; her sturdy, metal boots clash against the ground with ever step she takes. 

You keep on sprinting until you hear a loud clatter. You warily peek over your shoulder and notice Undyne flopped over on the ground. At first you think she's only doing it to dupe you, but then the realization hits you: she's a fish. She's probably burning up under all of that heavy metal. 

You scan around for a moment until your eyes settle on, oddly, a water cooler. Feeling parched, you walk over and snatch a cup from the water cooler before gulping the water down greedily. Just as you're about to toss it aside, a very tired and sluggish Undyne emits a throaty gurgle from down on the ground. Her eyes are locked on the cup in your hand and her mouth hangs open, insinuating thirst. 

"You kidnapped me. You tried to kill me. Why should I-" Undyne spazzes slightly and her eyes roll back in their sockets.

"Fine," you sigh, approaching her. You make sure to keep a reasonable distance away before dripping some of the water onto Undyne's parted lips and on her body. 

Undyne twitches slightly, then stands up. You stare at each other for what seems like hours before she finally turns around and stomps away. You let out a breath of relief. 

_Well, might as well keep walking the same direction._

You continue strolling through the Hotlands, as it's called, until you discover that your path is being blocked by a large, white building with the words "LAB" painted on the front in big, block letters. 

Judging by the fact that you have nowhere else to go, you walk right inside the lab. Upon entry, the first thing you see is a large tv, which displays a projection of your face on it as you walk by. Creepy. 

Directly next to the television is a cluttered desk full of papers, some of which are just crumpled up heaps on the floor, notes, and stacks of bowls. You've never seen anyone this unorganized before. You wonder who lives here. 

"Hello? Is anyone here?" you muse aloud as you continue surveying the area. 

You glance down at the floor and notice an open book at your feet. Leaning down, you pick it up and flip it over to look at the cover. "What's this?" You turn the page. "Animated looking eyes....unrealistically massive breasts....right to left dialogue...." Your lips quirk upwards into a faint smile. "Is this manga?"

Suddenly, a door swings open and out scurries a female reptilian; her cheeks are tinted pink in embarrassment, though the thick frames on her glasses shield a significant amount of her face. "H-hey, p-put that down!" 

"Sorry," you laugh, taking in the woman's flustered expression. "Is this yours?" 

"Y-yes..." she mutters, grabbing the book from you. "Aw man. I still haven't finished this one yet. It's Dr. Alphys by the way...in case you were wondering, w-which I'm not saying you were, since, w-well, you only just met me...And I-I'm sorry if I startled you back there...I just had to um, well, anyways..."

"It's alright," you giggle. "I'm Frisk. And sorry for intruding on you like this. I was just being chased by a mad-woman a couple minutes ago, who I think intends to impale me with her glowing spear. Her name's Undyne. Do ya know her?" 

Alphy's already reddened face is now scarlet at the mention of Undyne. "I-I, I don't r-recall that n-name." You have a feeling she's lying, but decide not to say anything. 

"U-Undyne really isn't that bad when you get to know her. She just gets...aggravated easily," Alphys finally days after a moment of silence. 

You raise an eyebrow. "I thought you just said you've never heard of that name." 

Alphys blushes. "I haven't! I mean I have...I mean..."

"You like her don't you?" you smirk. Alphys averts her gaze bashfully. "Hey, no need to be shy," you assure her. "There's nothing wrong with a crush." 

"Yeah, I'm sure you'd know," Alphys mutters under her breath. 

"What did you say?" you ask in disbelief.

"N-nothing," Alphys squeaks. She rushes over to her desk and puts the manga safely away in a drawer while you follow her.

"What do you mean 'I'm sure you'd know?'" you repeat.

"Well, you like Sans don't you?" Alphys says as if it was the most obvious thing, which it just might be. 

"What do you know about Sans?"

Alphys waves you off like she never heard you. "I know why you're here. You want to know more about Asgore don't you?"

"Yeah.... I suppose that's it. I want to get to his castle. Learn more about this barrier. But first I need to get out of the Hotlands." 

"Sure, I-I'll show you," Alphys replies. 

Suddenly, a part of the wall bursts apart. "DID SOMEBODY SAY SHOW?"


	14. Forbidden Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter sucks and whatnot. I've been sick for the past couple of days, and I haven't really felt like doing anything except sleeping so.... I hope it's okay xD

"M-Mettaton, why are you here?" Alphys stutters.

"TO SEE WHAT ALL THE FUSS WAS ABOUT, OF COURSE," the metal robot booms in that game show host accent of his; he grips a microphone in one of his fists. 

Mettaton pivets around on his diminutive wheel to face you. "A HUMAN, EH? EXCELLENT! THIS IS JUST THE PUBLICITY I- I MEAN- WE NEED." 

"Mettaton," Alphys grumbles. "This is not the time for your games." 

"NONSENSE!" Mettaton says. "THERE'S ALWAYS TIME FOR QUIZZES. SPEAKING OF QUIZZES, LET'S DO ONE NOW!" Suddenly, all the lights in the room fade to darkness, and a dazzling spotlight appears on you and Mettaton. 

"FIRST QUESTION. WHAT IS MY NAME?"

"Mettaton, right? Alphys just said it a second ago."

"I KNOW. I JUST LOVE HEARING PEOPLE SAY IT," Mettaton laughs vehemently before moving onto the next question. 

Mettaton asks you a couple more ridiculous inquiries, but with the assistance of Alphys, answering them isn't a problem. That is, until he asks the next question.

"LAST QUESTION, DARLING, AND YOU BETTER BE HONEST....IS IT TRUE THAT YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR THE SKELETON?"

Your palms grow sweaty, so you push your sleeves up to cover them. "Which one?" you attempt to joke, though your voice comes out shrill and weak. 

"YOU TELL ME." You glance over to Alphys, who just shrugs at you. Although he isn't here in the room with you, it feels like Sans is there too, anxiously awaiting your answer. 

You cross your arms and scowl at him. "So what if I do?"

"SPLENDID, SPLENDID! I KNEW IT! THE LITTLE HUMAN HAS A CRUSH. HOW SWEET." he cooes. You glare at him. "HEY, NO NEED TO POUT. I'M JUST MESSING WITH YA DARLING. BUT UNTIL NEXT TIME..." And with that, Mettaton wheels out of the room and out the door. 

You slap a palm to your forehead, mortified. "That was horrible. Who does he think he is?" 

Alphys chuckles sheepishly. "Sorry about that. But hey, at least he and I are the only ones who know." 

"I guess so," you mumble.

"So do you wanna know how to get out of the Hotlands now?"

* * *

 Before you depart, Alphys supplies you with a new cellphone and her phone number. She calls you periodically to make sure you're getting along well, or sometimes just to talk about her favorite animes. Either way, you enjoy talking to Alphys. She's somewhat neurotic, but excitable at the same time.

She also posts frequent status updates. Supposedly, Alphys thinks you can't see the updates, which amuses you. So to make things less awkward, you merely pretend not to read them. 

The puzzles in the Hotlands are admittedly difficult; some of them being things like, trying to memorize a laser pattern, or trying to stay on the right path. One of the puzzles even reminded you of your favorite arcade game, space invaders, except this one involved shooting boxes instead of pixelated aliens.

_Ring ring..._

"Hello? Alphys?" you say, ignoring the receiver. 

"Frisk," the phone crackles loudly with static, but not enough that you don't recognize the voice on the other line. 

"S-Sans? H-How did you get my number?" 

"Does it matter? I need to talk to you." 

"Well what if I don't want to talk to you," you reply coldly. 

"Well that sucks cause I'm kidnapping you." 

"Kidnapping me? What the hell are you- What the-" Someone drapes their arms around your waist. 

"Sans? Is that you? Let go of me!" 

"Woah there, Frisk. I'm not a serial killer. Chill your bones." You groan in defeat and relax in Sans' grip; he sets you down again. 

"Why are you here?" 

"Can't talk here. Let's go back to Snowdin." 

"Wha-" In a flash, you're back in Sans' room. Sans is sitting on the edge of his bed with his eyes locked on your face. You can't read his expression fully, but you can't mistake the look of painful dread in his sullen white pupils. 

"Frisk...." 

"Where the hell have you been Sans?! The last time I spoke to you, you just teleported away and left me alone! I thought you weren't coming back." 

Sans flinches. "I just need you to understand why this can't work. If you and I...were ever a thing...it wouldn't be accepted. It's forbidden for a monster and a human to ever be together." He sighs longingly. "Or to fall in love. Don't you get it, Frisk? I'm doing this for you. I'm doing this because I don't want anyone seeing you any differently. You don't deserve that." 

You look at Sans admirably, touched by his words. His eyes are shining with tears. Suddenly, he smiles. "I heard what you said back there. To Mettaton, I mean."

Your cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. "So I'm not crazy? Well, that's a relief."

Sans flashes you a cocky smirk. "So you have a crush on me, huh?" 

"Shut up!" you groan, shoving him playfully. 

He grins. "But is it _just_ , a crush?" 

You raise an eyebrow. "What are you getting at?" 

Sans takes a step towards you; his eyes glimmer with something unrecognizable. 

"I think you feel the same for me as I feel for you."

He leans in. 


	15. Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The strong desire to be close to Sans is beginning to bubble up inside you, even faster than you think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wellllll I'm back. And I'm really sorry for not updating in a couple weeks now. It's just been kind of rough for me this past month in more ways than one and I just really needed a break. I also want to apologize in advance if I can't stay on schedule with my uploads, but I hope you all can keep up with me as best you can. Thanks for all of the support! :) 
> 
> —Warning: There's a lil bit of smut in this chapter—

* * *

First, there's nothing but a mere centimeter separating your keen mouth from his; just a warm breath tickling your face. Then, there's nothing separating you at all.

As your lips smash against his mouth, Sans gathers you into his arms and lifts you up by the small of your waist, setting you on the bed. He twists his pale white hands into your tousled hair as he straddles you.

The bed rocks as you continue to kiss passionately. There's a sort of energy pulsating around the two of you, encircling you and pressing you together into a tangle of limbs and bones.

You let out a soft moan as Sans moves down towards your collarbone. He maneuvers his mouth towards the nape of your neck, nibbling and biting at it. His tongue lightly drags against your skin, making you squirm.

"Frisk..." Sans murmurs. Goosebumps scatter along your skin from his hot breath against your ear. His fingers trail down through the valley of your breasts and towards the brim of your sweater. He moves it aside, exposing your stomach. Right before Sans can do anything else, you freeze.

"Sans," you say through short, raggedy breaths. "I-I'm not... I'm not ready."

Sans immediately removes his hands from your stomach as if snapping out of a trance. His eyes flicker darkly for a moment before turning back to their usual, colorless hue.

"Aw, man. I'm sorry, Frisk. I shouldn't have- I didn't mean to- I'm sorry..."

You smile reassuringly at him, and gently tug your sweater back down.

"Don't fret it," you say, leaning over and pecking him on the cheek. Just as you do this, the door to Sans' room swings open and in slinks Papyrus. His gaze shifts to you and a flushing Sans on his bed, and he narrows his eyes in confusion.

"SANS? WHAT EXACTLY HAVE YOU TWO BEEN DOING?"

Sans scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "Erm, nothing Papyrus. What do ya need, bro?"

Papyrus blinks at him, then his eyes dart back to you. "So... You've returned I see. So Undyne didn't... You're not..."

"Yes, Papyrus. I'm alive," you utter nonchalantly. Papyrus inclines his head down towards the ground in shame while leaning his figure against the doorframe. Even from a distance, you can clearly see Papyrus had begun to fidget.

"Well... That's good, I suppose. I, uh... Well... Bye now!" Papyrus promptly scrambles out of the room and shuts the door. Man, Papyrus must be feeling so guilty right now. I wonder if it would have been easier for him if I had never come back.

Sans turns to look at you, perplexed. "What is he talking about, Frisk? What did my brother do? It looked like he was just about ready to leap out of his ski- never mind."

You unravel yourself from Sans' firm hold and touch his arm comfortingly. "Well, after you....teleported away..." Sans flinches. "I eventually made my way back to Snowdin. It was dark, so I figured I'd stay at an Inn for the night. But by the time I got there, Papyrus was waiting for me. But he had this agonizing expression on his face. Then, the next thing I know, I wake up in the Hotlands with a bump on my head and a disgruntled fish lady breathing down my neck. She was trying to kill me for my soul, I presumed. I eventually found Alphys', at that point." You raise your head to lock eyes with him. "Then you showed up. And here I am."

"Here you are..." Sans mumbles through seemingly clenched teeth. "I should've been there, Frisk. I was being a coward. And I couldn't confess... I couldn't confess my love for you."

A small smile graces your lips. "I wanted to hate you. I'm not going to lie. After you left... I wanted to be angry, angry at you. I wanted all those feelings I had built up to wash away right at that moment and be replaced with anger and detestation. But they only intensified. It was like being away from you only made me want you more. Why, Sans? Why must I feel this way?"

Sans rests his forehead against yours, and intertwines his fingers with the back of your own while leading them to your chest. You could feel the repetitive thumping of your heart against the palm your hand as your mind began to race. Everything around you: every color, every grain, every particle fades away; like the ending cut of a movie when the girl kisses the guy and everything zooms out and fades to black.

"You feel that? That's your heartbeat. Right now, it's beating for me. And do you know why it's beating so quickly?"

"Why?" you whisper, even though you already know the answer.

"Because you're falling in love with me."

Sans the skeleton... What have you done to me?


End file.
